The Dark Tower
by Zuzeca
Summary: Sasuke, cursed to death by the seal of Orochimaru, travels through the realm of dreams to seek out the iron tower where his enemy dwells. He is guided by Naruto, a fox spirit under a curse of his own. SasuNaru
1. Prologue: The Curse

A/N: I began this story more than a year ago and have written on it on and off ever since then. It is loosely based on _The Dream Hunters_ by Neil Gaiman and the title was taken from the Robert Browning poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came". I only began reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series after I started this, so I'm not sure if or how it will affect it. It is at this point in time incomplete and I'm sure updates will be sporadic(real life does tend to get in the way), but I'll try my best not to let it die. Having it here will likely be motivating in that respect. The prologue is pretty short, but it's necessary to set up the rest of the story, I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, _The Dream Hunters_, Robert Browning's poetry, or anything at all by Stephen King.

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Prologue: The Curse

Long ago, in a land populated by spirits and demons, there lived a boy. He was the second son of a prestigious feudal lord who oversaw the eastern province under his overlord; named Sasuke by his mother. However, the birth left her in failing health, and the upbringing of her child was left in the capable hands of a young nurse named Megumi. The nurse loved her new charge and all remained well in the Uchiha household until one cool spring day.

Megumi had taken Sasuke, by this time a healthy child of three, out into the forest around the compound to play. During their madcap games, Megumi lost sight of the boy, who never missed out on the chance to give his nurse the slip. Grumbling to herself, Megumi moved farther into the woods in search of her charge, seeking behind bushes and trees. She was about to give up and go retrieve some help from the other servants when she heard a cry.

It was the high, almost surprised yelp of a young child who has been injured, but who is still so bewildered as to not realize what has happened. Filled with dread, Megumi plunged into the bushes, pulling them back to reveal the child where he crouched on the ground, one hand protectively clutching his neck as he stared in shock at a thin black serpent that wriggled away into the undergrowth. Choking back a scream of her own, Megumi snatched up the child and raced back towards the compound. Clutching him to her, she heard him give an agonized moan. With some vague idea of sucking the poison from his veins, Megumi pulled him away from her to examine the wound. Her heart nearly stopped at what she saw. No pinprick holes, left by the fangs of a malignant serpent; rather an eerie black mark, a bit like a tattoo, had blossomed on the pale skin. Her eyes grew wide.

"Black sorcery," she breathed.

When Megumi at last arrived at the Uchiha household, Sasuke's father immediately sent for a doctor. The old physician, an aged man who had seen much illness in his own life, took one look at the ailing boy and shook his head gravely. He had never seen anything like it and feared to treat a patient under the influence of such dark magic. In the end he left and Megumi remained sitting by Sasuke's side, watching helplessly as the stricken boy twitched and moaned with fever. His agony went on and on until at last, in the final hours before dawn, the fever broke and lifted as suddenly as it had arrived. The curious mark remained however, and as more time passed and Sasuke grew into a young man, the mark spread, causing a pain that sank into his very bones. Slowly, inch by inch it licked across his skin, devouring him like a cancer. Bit by bit it ate him alive, sinking painful tendrils into every part of him. And as his agony grew, so did the pain of his parents and ever-faithful childhood nurse. Soon none of them would look into his face any longer, for all they saw were the black flames of his unknown curse.

At last, when the pain and ostracism from his family became too much for him to bear, Sasuke made the decision to leave the family that no longer wanted him and seek some means of purifying himself. No words were exchanged as he packed a small knapsack, fastened a long dagger to his waist and bandaged his exposed skin, wrapping a cloth around the bottom half of his face. Without a backward glance, the boy crept silently from the compound and began his journey to the northern mountains.

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A/N: Please Read and Review. 


	2. Chapter 1: The Fox and the Witch

A/N: Okay, here is where the real meat of the story begins. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman.

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Chapter 1: The Fox and the Witch

The sun had not yet reached its zenith when Sasuke found himself stopping to rest by a mountain stream. Bone-weary, he settled in front of a small boulder and shut his eyes, resisting the desire to grimace in disgust. Disgust at his own inability to fight off the curse that sapped his strength and left him no better than an old man who sits before the fire and mumbles to himself. Even though his exhaustion required that he make regular stops, Sasuke hated to rest. When he was at rest, with nothing to distract his mind, the pain of his seal came back in full force.

As he leaned against the boulder, he forced his mind to go over the path he was following into the mountains. A path that might or might not lead him to the lair of a powerful witch who, were she so inclined, could possibly help him. As he contemplated this new level of difficulty, Sasuke became aware of a presence making its way towards him. It was a slight rustle of leaves, no more sound then a wasp makes when it walks across a wall.

Sasuke gave no sign that he had heard, but lay quite still. At last he felt the puff of air displaced by a warm body, and in a blur of motion, Sasuke leapt up, pulling out his dagger in the same movement. Whipping his blade forward, he had to reign in his shock when he found it pointed not at a man, but a small red fox.

The fox, taking no notice of the wicked blade less than a hairsbreadth from its nose, sat back on its haunches and spoke.

"Oh, good. You're not dead after all. I thought I was going to have to have the old hag drag you out before you started to smell. Anyway, this is private property, so scat." With this eloquent speech, the fox turned with a flick of its tail and made to leave.

"Wait!" Sasuke said, quickly recovering his wits from the shock of being confronted with a talking fox. The animal glanced back inquiringly. "I am seeking the home of the witch Tsunade-hime," Sasuke said rather hesitantly.

"Oh, _her_," the fox replied in an annoyed tone. "Well you've come to the right place. Lair of the great and terrible Tsunade etc, etc. Follow me then." Sasuke wearily sheathed his sword and limped after the animal.

It seemed to Sasuke that he followed the waving brush of the fox for a very long way, which of course gave him plenty of time to second guess his somewhat rash decision to follow an unknown talking animal into the mountains. Foxes were notorious as tricksters, as bad an tanuki (1) in their own way. The possibility that the animal intended to get him hopelessly lost, at which point it would disappear with a laugh, was a high one. Sasuke was about to demand exactly where they were when the fox suddenly announced their arrival at "the old hag's shack" as he put it.

Indeed, Sasuke thought, the creature was not far off in calling the tiny cottage a shack. The roof buckled and sagged atop four frail-looking walls, and the garden resembled a jungle untouched by explorers. With not a bit of consternation, Sasuke followed the fox, which pointedly ignored the misspelled "Kep Out" sign attached to the door, and began to scratch upon the rotting wood. There was no response. The fox sighed.

"She fell asleep again. Bang on the door will you? Not too hard now mind you, or the house will fall down." The animal snickered at its own joke and Sasuke found himself unable to keep from giving it an exasperated look from behind the face covering.

Leaning forward, Sasuke gave three firm raps, which thudded dully on the decayed wood.

"What do you want?" snapped a voice from within.

"It's me old hag, and you've got company." The fox shouted back.

"Naruto?' said the voice, "What kind of company? If it's Jiraiya again tell him to go away!"

"It's not Ero-Sennin," said the fox in an annoyed tone; Sasuke gave him a strange look. "Just some kid wrapped up like a package and carrying a sword. Probably an assassin."

"You idiot!" the voice barked "No assassin would come to the front door! He must be a customer."

"Supplicant," the fox corrected.

"Customer! Supplicant! Call him whatever you want, just let him in so I can help him and send him on his merry way!" During the course of this speech, the owner of the voice had stomped to the front door and wrenched it open.

Sasuke had expected an old woman, bent under years of wisdom and face wrinkled from the fumes of endless potions. Instead he was confronted by a lovely lady who appeared to be in her twenties. Her pale blond hair hung in two short tails down her back and she was dressed in clothes that were simple yet attractive, which showed off her rather ample bosom. Yet as he stood there, staring at her from under his many coverings, he realized that something was wrong.

The woman smiled sweetly at him, exposing perfect rows of pearly teeth and he comprehended that he was looking at something that was not real. Sasuke could not have explained how he knew, or what it was that he saw. The woman most certainly looked no different, yet he could tell instantly that beautiful face and perfect smile were mere artifices. Bewildered, Sasuke gave his head a little shake and instead greeted the woman politely.

"How sweet," she said looking him over critically. "Come in, come in. I'm certain that you must be tired."

"Thank you," Sasuke replied, still unable to shake the curious sensation of clear-headedness that he felt.

Tsunade gestured him towards a floor cushion and jerked her head at the fox in the direction of the hearth. The animal gave her a superior look and meandered over with the aloof grace of a cat.

"Brat," she mumbled under her breath. Tsunade busied herself with making tea while the fox, Naruto, Sasuke remembered, curled up into a fuzzy ball, tail draped across his forepaws. Sasuke used this moment of quiet, broken only by the clinking of dishes, to examine his surroundings.

The house he was in was hardly a palace, but from the inside it appeared much cleaner and less ready to fall apart at a moments notice. The single room was dominated a large hearth, around which were placed several cushions well flattened from use. The lump of a bedroll could be seen in one corner, and a small cupboard from which Tsunade retrieved cups for tea. There was little else of interest in the small cottage.

Sasuke was interrupted from his scrutiny of the house by the cup of tea that was thrust into his hands. Grasping it automatically, he looked up at Tsunade, who had already seated herself on another cushion and was now looking at him expectantly. Sasuke realized, with some discomfort, that as the guest he was expected to drink first. Of course he had intended to show her the marks of his curse at some point, and he was fairly sure that some which surrounded his left eye were visible, but he balked at exposing his face to someone who might throw him out without waiting for an explanation. Sasuke realized however that he certainly could not back out now and, with only some hesitation, he pulled back the cloth that covered his face.

Tsunade said nothing as he gingerly exposed his skin, but he caught a slight intake of breath and widening of eyes that suggested he was right to be wary. From the corner of his eye he saw Naruto give him a surreptitious glance, trying to get a better look while feigning lack of interest. Sasuke noted with some curiosity that the fox's eyes were the most brilliant shade of blue he had ever seen, but of course then a talking fox couldn't exactly be normal. Putting the animal out of his mind for a moment, he raised his eyes and faced Tsunade almost defiantly.

The witch seemed to have found her voice, and leaned forward almost fearfully her hand reaching toward, but not quite touching his cheek.

"I haven't seen marks like these for many, many years. You poor child, whatever did you do to get on the bad side of Orochimaru?"

"I'm not sure," replied Sasuke cautiously "My mo- I was told a snake bit me when I was small," he said quickly.

"Hmm…" Tsunade seemed to consider this for a moment. "Well, you might say that snakes are Orochimaru's specialty, and these marks are definitely from one of his curses. However I haven't seen him in over a century, and to target you for no apparent reason…" She scrutinized Sasuke for a moment. "Your clan name, what is it?"

"I don't see what it matters," Sasuke replied coldly "my ties with them have been severed."

"Impertinent fool," snapped Tsunade "your name could explain why he would be so interested in you, and why he would go through the trouble of cursing you instead of killing you."

"Uchiha," Sasuke said finally in a curt tone.

Tsunade looked thoughtful. "The name is not familiar, but my mind has been known to fail me from time to time," She grew silent. "Perhaps," she said slowly "I should tell you the story of Orochimaru. If he has cursed you for the reason that I think he has, it is best for you to know all you can about him,"

The Tale of Orochimaru

As Told by Tsunade (and interrupted sporadically by Naruto)

Hundreds of years ago, when gods still walked upon the earth, there lived a powerful snake god known as Orochi (2). He was very wealthy and wise, due to his dragon-like tendency to hoard riches and his ability to speak many languages. He fancied himself a collector, and god and demons came from all corners of the land to tell him their stories, which he inscribed onto scrolls and catalogued into his huge library. However he was still not happy, for he was very lonely, having neither wife nor family. So he took a journey, disguising himself as a mortal and traveling across the land.

One day, while walking beside a river, he came upon a young woman washing clothes in the water. As you can well guess, Orochi fell violently in love with her and immediately began to court her. She agreed to marry him; yet her father was rather reluctant to relinquish his daughter to a snake god who might very well devour her. In the end however he was persuaded, and Orochi took his new bride back to his home; a strong iron tower in the realm of the gods. In due time, she gave birth to a child, who inherited both his father's power and his name. Orochimaru.

Several years after the birth, Orochi was killed by a more powerful god whom he had offended. His wife was left to bring up their son in the tower, which some time before, Orochi had taken the precaution of placing under a powerful spell. He struck a deal with the King of All Nights Dreaming (3) to conceal the tower in his realm, which was outside the spheres of either gods or men.

Orochimaru soon grew up, and it became apparent that he was even more power-hungry than his father. He immersed himself in spells and magic, scouring his father's library in search of enchantments given to him by demons. But what obsessed him most was the search for immortality. You see Orochimaru was only half-god, and as such had a far shortened lifespan. Of course he would live for thousands of years, but that suddenly seemed like a short time to a sorcerer who sought to gain infinite knowledge and power. He resented that, after taking such pains to learn magic, it would be taken from him by a thing as trivial as death. After the death of his mother, he began to work ever more desperately, seeking the secret of immortality.

"And I think," said Tsunade "he may have found what he was looking for,"

"What do you mean by that?" said Sasuke.

"Snakes, as you know, represent rebirth and renewal," "Of course," said Sasuke "Because they shed their old skin and replace it with a new one,"

"Correct," replied Tsunade "Now just imagine if Orochimaru found a way, instead of his skin, to shed his whole _body_, and replace that with a new one,"

Sasuke felt his stomach turn. "Then he intends to…"

"Take over your body," Tsunade nodded "Orochimaru is probably unable to create human bodies with magic, at least ones that would be strong enough to contain his soul. That's why he put that seal on you, to mark you as his and force you to seek him out,"

"But this seal is _killing_ me," said Sasuke angrily "If he wanted me alive…"

"You're not listening," said Tsunade impatiently "Yes, the seal is killing you, and Orochimaru is the only one who can remove it. He is testing your strength, making you go to him. He has probably marked a number of mortals in case some of them die, or turn out to be too stupid to find him."

She smiled grimly "He has manipulated you into doing exactly what he wants,"

"Then those are my options?" demanded Sasuke "Death or giving myself to that monster?"

Tsunade wagged a finger in his face, "Of course not," she said "you forgot option number three, where you go to the monster, kill him, and return a hero,"

Sasuke eyed her warily "You're joking," he said flatly.

"No indeed," said Tsunade, "I've known Orochimaru for a very long time. I used to work for his mother, you know. I know how he thinks, and he wouldn't take the body of just anyone. He would choose a mortal who has the potential to become as powerful as he is. That is unless he's still in the planning stages, meaning you're just a test subject. In that case you're out of luck," Sasuke opened his mouth angrily, and closed it realizing her eyes were twinkling. "Don't worry so much," she said affectionately, "I can sense power too, and as soon as you get up tomorrow morning I'll show you how to use that magic flowing in your veins,"

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(1) Tanuki are a type of animal that appear in many comedic tales, such as where one of the crafty animals deceives a monk by disguising itself as a kettle.

(2) Orochi is an actual mythological name for a Japanese snake god, other than that I invented the story.

(3) I took bits of this from _The Dream Hunters,_ a wonderful book that is the retelling of an Asian tale by Neil Gaiman, but if you've read it please don't complain that I veer wildly from the plot.

A/N: Ironically I wrote this, including the whole spiel about snakes and immortality, quite some before the part about Orochimaru's past in the manga was published (I think it's about chapter 345) and I got a bit of a shock when it came out. Anyway, please read and review.


	3. Chapter 2: The All Seeing Eye

A/N: Hello again, I'm back after being consumed by real life for almost a week. I hope all of you enjoy this new installment. I am working on finishing chapter 3 and I'm planning an outline for chapter 4, so hopefully those should come out without a hitch, though when that will happen is not set in stone. Inspiration tends to be a fickle thing, but I do try. Anyhow, enjoy yourselves.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, _The Dream Hunters_ by Neil Gaiman or any other works referenced in this work.

Warning: It occurred to me I neglected this in the last two chapters. There's no noteworthy ones as of yet, but there will be future occurrences of violence and possibly sexual situations, so I might as well put this up.

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Chapter 2: The All-Seeing Eye

Despite his exhaustion, Sasuke found himself unable to sleep that night. As he lay on the dirt floor of the hut, listening to rumbling snores of the witch, his brain whirled with activity, leaving him restless and edgy. In the dim light of the banked coals, he saw Naruto rise from his spot by the hearth and cross over to where he lay on silent cat feet. Warily he stared up at the pointed eared silhouette, the eyes glowing softly like blue flames. The fox's voice was gentle, and so low that Sasuke could barely hear it.

"I feel for you kid," said Naruto "Curses are nasty business,"

"I don't need your pity," hissed Sasuke.

Naruto laughed softly "Course not; you've already got enough self-pity to last a lifetime." he whispered mockingly "Let me tell you, kid, you're not only person who knows about curses,"

Sasuke turned over angrily and faced the wall. The fox was silent for a minute or so, and Sasuke had nearly forced himself into sleep when Naruto spoke again. "Your name, what is it?" Sasuke mutinously considered ignoring the animal, but realized that it would be a petty thing to do.

"Sasuke," he said quietly.

"You're a good kid, Sasuke" said the fox "Don't let the old hag knock you around too bad,"

Sasuke brought up his dagger up before his face, wincing as sparks flew where his blade connected with the leather and steel gloves Tsunade wore. With almost blinding speed, she slipped beneath his guard and socked him lightly in the stomach.

Sasuke found himself flat on his back looking up into her amused eyes.

"You're pretty good," she said lazily, examining the long dagger, short sword really, that she had taken from his hand without his notice. She tossed him his weapon. "You could be better. Faster," Wincing, Sasuke pulled himself to his feet.

"Something's wrong," he said irritably. "My eyes…there's something wrong with them. When I look at you everything seems blurry, as though you're _glowing_"

"Glowing?" she said incredulously.

"Yes, as though you're surrounded by a halo of blue light," he stared at her and rubbed his eyes impatiently.

"Hmm…" she said thoughtfully "From your description it sounds as though you are seeing my chakra or spiritual power. But you shouldn't see it; it's invisible to all but a trained magical opponent."

Striding over to where he stood, she grasped his chin and forced his head up. He winced at her roughness, but stood quite still as she examined his eyes, which were watering. This close the light flowing from the witch was almost blinding. Shaking her head, Tsunade stepped back, "I'm not sure what is happening to you, but if you don't mind, I'd like to try a little experiment,"

"Very well," Sasuke agreed warily.

At his assent, the witch brought her hands together, interlacing the fingers until they formed a partial steeple. Seeing his questioning look, Tsunade said, "These are hand seals; I use them to focus my power when I perform spells," Falling silent she closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. What happened next made Sasuke rub his eyes even more than the irritating light had. Not one, but three witches stood before him, all identical to Tsunade down to the cool almost arrogant expression.

"Now," said the woman on the left, "two of these are copies, shadows formed of chakra. I want you to try to see which one is the real me," Sasuke, feeling rather foolish, squinted hard at each one in turn. All glowed with the same blue light and try as he might, he could find no small detail that would differentiate one from another. After several minutes he gave up in disgust.

"You all look exactly the same. What am I supposed to be looking for?"

"You tell me," replied the woman on the right calmly "Look at me as though you were trying to see in here," she pressed a delicate hand above her heart, "Calm your mind and don't think, just look,"

Sasuke took in a slow breath. With the discipline that came from being trained by a brother with no mercy and even less patience, he emptied his mind and gazed at the three women, allowing his eyes to become unfocused. _Show me._ He whispered in his mind, as though his eyes would obey his silent command. It seemed he stood there for an immensely long time, but then the feeling of clear-headedness that had risen when he first saw the witch filled him once again, stronger than before.

He did not hear the collective gasp of the women, or see Naruto's tail (the fox had been watching from a nearby rock) bristle until it resembled a bottle-brush. All he saw were three figures, all human-shaped but two formed of blue flame. In a daze, he walked slowly over towards the one on the left, finally placing his hand where Tsunade had laid hers what could have been only minutes before. The other two women disappeared in a puff of smoke and Tsunade was staring down at him with a slightly impressed look. She smiled and spoke a single word:

"Sharingan," It was like a blessing, or a curse.

"You're going to mess up the pentagram," Tsunade snapped, pushing Sasuke and Naruto into a far corner "Stay put until I'm finished," Confused, Sasuke watched as the witch flew about the cabin with a single-minded determination, gathering numerous items as she went.

"What's she doing?" he said to Naruto in a low voice.

"She's making a portal, I think," replied the fox after a moment, ducking behind Sasuke's legs to avoid a spray of salt. "Tsunade-baba, do you really think this is a good idea?"

"Of course. Do you think I would do something if I didn't think so?" the witch was scribbling furiously in chalk along the edges of the figure.

"But he's never even used magic, sending him alone to the Dream King's realm would be suicide!"

"Yes it would," replied the witch, "That's why you're going with him,"

"Whaat!" the fox spluttered "you're joking!"

"I'm quite serious," she said "You know that realm better than anyone, and you have quite a few connections. In short, the perfect guide."

"I knew it," moaned Naruto "I'm doomed. The _itsumade_ (1)will feast on my entrails,"

"Stop being dramatic," Tsunade snapped back "There, it's done. Now you (she gestured at Sasuke) stand in the middle and…" she trailed off "I think you'll have to hold the brat,"

She swooped over and snatched up Naruto, who was trying to sneak out the door. She shoved the struggling animal into Sasuke's arms. In his surprise, he almost dropped the squirming fox, but he quickly wrapped it in his arms. Naruto's response was to shove two clawed hind feet into his stomach.

"Ouch!" Sasuke said "Stop that you idiot!"

"For heaven's sake, Naruto be reasonable!" Tsunade exclaimed.

Angrily, Sasuke imitated what he had once seen his father do with an unruly puppy; he grasped Naruto by the scruff of his neck, effectively rendering the fox immobile.

But not inaudible; the animal screeched insults at the two humans, cursing their families, their descendants, and all aspects of their anatomy.

"Let me go you bastard! You're strangling me you son-of-a-" Sasuke cut him off angrily

"Stop squirming you idiot, you're strangling yourself!" The animal froze for a second, and then slowly went limp.

Automatically, Sasuke slipped a hand beneath Naruto to support him, easing his grip on the fox's scruff. To his surprise, he could feel the animal trembling slightly in his arms and realized with some chagrin that his grip had left marks on Naruto's neck. Releasing his hold completely, he couldn't help but stroke the soft fur, soothing the hurt spot.

"I'm sorry for that," he said "I had no right to do such a thing," His own gentleness surprised him; it must have been his residual love for animals. Dogs, cats, horses, they had all been his friends when his family shunned him.

Naruto closed his mouth on the scathing remark that had been about to spew from it. The cold, bastard of a boy was now stroking his neck, soothing him? He suddenly felt a bit of shame at his refusal, he was behaving childishly and his mother would not have been proud.

"It's okay," he said shortly "I was wrong to behave in such a way, even if you deserve it for being such a bastard," In a show of friendship, Naruto turned and stuck his cold nose into Sasuke's palm. The boy's thumb rubbed gently beneath his eye, and the fox nuzzled instinctually against it.

They were jolted from their little bonding experience by Tsunade, who cleared her throat loudly enough to make her presence known.

"Well, if you two have sorted out your little tiff, I believe it's time we got started," she sprinkled water over them, chuckling as Naruto shook his ears.

"Now," she said "This portal will take you to the realm of the Dream King, where Orochimaru is hidden. Unfortunately, because of the spells that protect him, you will have to travel on foot to reach his tower. How long that will take depends on the number of difficulties you encounter. Anything else Naruto can explain."

She bent down and looked into Sasuke's eyes "Do not forget, the dream realm is trying to protect Orochimaru, it will attempt to stop you any way it can,"

"You speak of it as though it were a conscious being," said Sasuke in confusion.

"For all intents and purposes, it _is_," she replied with a sigh, "The entire plane bends to the will of the King of All Nights Dreaming, and he swore an oath to hide the tower, an oath that he cannot break," Tsunade lowered her eyes to where Naruto crouched, "Take care of him, brat. You'll both need one another to get out of this alive,"

"Like I'd ever need such a bastard," the fox retorted, but his eyes softened as he stared at the witch "Take care, old hag,"

Turning her attention back to Sasuke, Tsunade looked regretful "I wish I could teach you to use your Sharingan, but I know almost nothing about it. Perhaps you can learn as you go, but whatever happens, _do not_ underestimate Orochimaru. His power and cruelty are legendary, and he will manipulate and kill for his own sake without hesitation," she smirked "In other words, good luck,"

Stepping back, the witch clapped her palms together to form what Sasuke now recognized as a hand seal. Muttering beneath her breath, her hands moved in rapid succession, from one seal to another. "Now," she commanded "Look," Sasuke was about to ask what for, when he suddenly saw that the air before him was rippling, a bulging seam in the fabric of reality. "Step through it," Tsunade said. Swallowing hard, Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto and stepped into the world of dreams.

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(1) Itsumade is a mythical creature that guards the Dream King's palace in _The Dream Hunters_.

A/N: Wow, that looked a lot longer on Microsoft Word. As always, please read and review.


	4. Chapter 3: The Realm of Dreams

A/N: Hello again, I finally got of my lazy behind and posted this. This was the last chapter I had partially written last year, so I'm interested to see if and how this story will change as I continue. The basic plot will remain the same, but there are some events which are up in the air at this point. I have begun work on chapter four, but due to real life conflicts during the next three weeks it may take some time for me to finish. I hope that you will all be patient with me and that you enjoy this new installment.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other copyrighted material which may be mentioned in this story. I am making no profit from this work of fiction.

Warnings: None really note worthy, but there is a bit of suggestive behaviour and two male characters discussing sex. So shonen-ai, or BL, whatever they're calling it these days.

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Chapter 3: The Realm of Dreams

At first all was darkness, not a speck of light to be seen anywhere. As he stepped through the seam in the fabric of reality, Sasuke felt as though he passed a thousand worlds, each one the thickness of a sheet of rice paper. He was weightless and without form, melting as all the planes pulled at him. Then, suddenly he was standing on solid ground and the world materialized into being around him.

Sasuke found himself staring at endless blue water. Waves lapped against white sand and an ocean breeze tugged at his hair. To his far left he could see palm trees, their wispy fronds bobbing. He had never seen anything like it in his entire life.

"Very nice," Naruto commented, "I haven't seen a landscape this colorful since I brought Shikamaru here. Never seen so many clouds in my life,"

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke said absently. "Haven't you been here before?"

"Of course," replied Naruto with in a superior tone "But this plane looks different depending on the medium,"

"Are you telling me _I_ created this? I've never seen anything like it before." Sasuke said incredulously.

"Not you exactly, but your subconscious mind; it took how you imagined the dream realm and created this place," Naruto nodded sagely, "I've been here dozens of times, on missions for the old hag; it never looks the same. But we should get moving; can't spend all day staring at the ocean. You can put me down now,"

Sasuke, who had forgotten he still held the fox, hastily placed him on the ground. The animal stretched and shook itself, scratching vigorously behind one ear.

"Inter-dimensional travel always makes me stiff. Follow me then," Tearing his eyes away from the seascape, Sasuke followed Naruto in the opposite direction, into the lush forest beyond.

Sasuke had thought, judging by the witch's warnings, the journey would be a silent, cautious one. But Naruto chattered constantly, mostly about nothing at all, and Sasuke found the mindless babble oddly comforting. He did take interest however when the subject turned to the world around them. The fox, for all he seemed an empty-headed fool, was very well-informed when it came to how the dream realm was put together, and on the strange beings that populated it.

"…and then that jerk Shino had the nerve to infect me with fleas. Fleas! But I got him good, bet he still wonders where half the honey from his beehives went,"

"Are you honestly telling me," said Sasuke, "That he can speak to insects?"

"Yeah, but according to him they never have that much to say. Anyway is that so hard to believe? You're talking to me aren't you,"

"I meant to ask you about that," said Sasuke curiously, "How is it that you can talk? Are you the witch's familiar?"

Naruto looked offended "Of course not. I'm no ordinary fox. I'm a half-breed; my mother was one of the spirit fox women and my father was a monk,"

"Not anymore I suspect, if he's your father," said Sasuke in an amused tone.

"So he wasn't a very good monk," replied the fox with the animal equivalent of a shrug "He loved my mother with all his heart, and I don't blame him. She was very beautiful; pure white from nose to tail-tip with shining green eyes and a pink nose,"

"I'm sure she was," said Sasuke as he tried discern how a monk might be attracted to something not even of his own species "But if her fur was white, why is yours red?"

The animal paused "That was because, um, of my grandfather," he stumbled over the word "grandfather" as though it had been hastily interjected at the last moment.

Confused, Sasuke was about to pry further, but at that moment he was distracted by an odd sight. Several yards ahead, the tropical forest ended. Not in the general way of forests, trees thinning until it opened up into a clearing, but simply _ended_. Behind him, Sasuke could see the sunlight filtering down through the wide tropical leaves, but before him a colorful sunset poured over an endless grassy plain.

Naruto seemed oblivious to the change and merely trotted on ahead, shouting back to him "Stop lollygagging, it's getting late," Cautiously, Sasuke stepped over the line that separated the forest and prairie, watching in fascination as the light around him dimmed into a dusky purple hue. The tall grasses brushed his knees, bobbing and twisting in the dying light. Naruto had disappeared beneath the layer of grass, and only the parted weeds revealed his position. Sasuke followed the tiny path through the tremendous sea of reeds, which rushed in the wind with a sound like waves.

It happened suddenly; one moment the plain was flooded with soft light, the next Sasuke found himself swallowed up by endless darkness. He stopped in his tracks, uncertain of how to continue on. Looking up into the sky, he saw the sliver thin curve of the moon leaking silver light too weak to see by upon the ground. The familiar sensation of standing all alone, with no one to reach out and guide him from the darkness, shivered down his spine.

He could feel the void reaching out to swallow him up with eager fingers, when a soft weight on his leg jolted him from his thoughts and he looked down into Naruto's blue eyes, which he noticed glowed slightly.

"Come on," the fox said, shoving his head against the back of Sasuke's knee "We'll stop for the night soon, there's a small stream up ahead," Slowly the boy began walking again, his eyes having adjusted somewhat to the dim light.

Several yards ahead he began to hear the chuckling sound of water bubbling over rocks, and as he came over a small hillock he saw the dim moonlight reflecting off a small trickle of water tumbling amidst the grass. He could see no reason for a stream to well up in the middle of nowhere, but he realized it did little good to question the strange way this plane worked, and so he chose to appreciate the opportunity to bathe and drink.

Setting his small knapsack on the ground beside him, Sasuke knelt at the streams' edge, dipping his cupped hands toward the water and paused. Giving Naruto a sidelong glance, he said almost casually, "Should I worry about this turning me into a toad?"

The fox shook his head, "No, not a toad, a rabbit maybe, but nothing froggy," Sasuke gave him a rather severe look, to which the fox responded by snickering uncontrollably, "Just drink the damn water, you'll get pissy if you're dehydrated,"

The boy scooped a handful of water and hastily gulped it, trying not to spill the fluid down his shirt. The liquid was icy, so cold it made his teeth ache and chilled him to the bone. Shivering, he rocked back on his heels, silently cursing his desire for a bath. Deciding for the moment to put off that decision, he began to unpack his small bedroll and cooking utensils. He had to squint to see them in the dim light, but he at last fished out his flint pouch and began to clear an area for a cooking fire.

When he realized what Sasuke was doing, Naruto seemed to get a bit nervous and took off, making some excuse about finding a rabbit and advising him to not set the prairie on fire. With only a bit of trouble, Sasuke soon had a cheery blaze going, allowing him to warm his hands before the flames. As he bathed contentedly in the glow, he wondered idly if Naruto was ever going to come back.

As if in answer to his thoughts, the animal popped through the curtain of grass, the bloody carcass of a rabbit clenched in his jaws. Dropping the offering to the ground, the fox licked his bloody chops and spoke, "Here, know how to skin one of these?"

With a nod of thanks, Sasuke unsheathed a kunai from the pouch at his side and scooped up the rabbit. Swiftly he made several skillful incisions around the throat and paws, ripping off the fur easily. Flipping the body over, he slit the belly and removed the entrails and viscera.

Taking the bloody mess in his hands, he glanced at Naruto, "Do you want these?" Sasuke asked in an almost conversational tone.

"Why not?" replied the fox, "but remember, I get a chunk of that rabbit,"

The boy tossed the lumps of flesh at Naruto, who gulped them with great gusto and sat down to clean the blood from his paws and muzzle. The rabbit, spitted on the blade of Sasuke's sword, sizzled over the flames, filling the air with the smell of roasted meat. When it looked sufficiently burnt, Sasuke pulled it off and ripped a haunch out for Naruto, who bit into it amid the sound of crunching bones.

The rabbit was delicious, and Sasuke found himself cracking the thin bones with a knife to get at the sweet marrow. He was rather surprised at how good food and drink tasted in the realm of dreams; it seemed as though it should be a pale shadow of the real thing.

Naruto disagreed, "Haven't you ever had a dream you thought was real? Taste, touch, smell, even color they're all much more intense here," As Sasuke rolled this idea over in his mind, he remembered the icy water and his earlier desire for a bath.

"Is it safe to bathe here?" he asked, looking out into the smothering darkness.

"Right now it is," replied the fox, "Nothing comes through this area except the _Baku_, (1)"

"The what?" said Sasuke.

"The Dream Eaters," said Naruto "They're harmless, mostly," Sasuke wasn't sure if he should take comfort in Naruto's reassurance, but without another word he rose and headed over to stream a few feet away.

Carefully, he stripped off his clothes, unwinding the many bandages and folding them neatly on top of a small flat rock. He could feel Naruto watching him and it made him a bit nervous; he hadn't shown his body, or the extent of his curse scars, to anyone since he was younger. The black marks which once only encircled his throat now spread over most of the left side of his body, and were beginning to creep across his back and stomach. Pretending to ignore the fox's open stares, he slipped into the water, gasping slightly as the icy liquid slid across his belly. Quickly he scooped up handfuls of the water and splashed them across his body, rinsing the dirt and grime, souvenirs of his travel to the witch's home, from his pale skin.

He was squeezing the excess water from his spiky hair, which hung down his back in thick locks when it was wet, when he heard something from Naruto that did not amuse him. The fox, after giving Sasuke a once or twice over, gave an appreciative whistle, though how an animal could whistle he had no idea. Giving Naruto a look reminiscent of a wet cat, Sasuke snapped, "What the hell was that for?"

The fox shook its head, "Damn, you're pretty hot under all those clothes,"

"What's it to you?" Sasuke fired back.

"Nothing, I suppose. But I've got to wonder, you got some lucky girl back at home?"

"Hardly," Sasuke said, fuming as he splashed from the water and shook the liquid from his hair. "And if I did it's none of your damn business," The wind curled around his body, drying it as he fumbled for his clothes.

He thought Naruto might back off, but giving him a rather interested look, the fox somehow asked an even more embarrassing question, "You're a virgin, aren't you?"

Reeling backwards in astonishment, Sasuke stared speechlessly at Naruto, who seemed surprisingly calm. "You…you,"

"It's nothing to be humiliated about," the fox remarked with a chuckle "But it does seem a shame to go off on a life-or-death quest without having felt the warmth of a woman's touch,"

His face burning, Sasuke turned away, refusing to lower himself and continue this increasingly uncomfortable conversation.

Naruto however, continued blithely on, "It's not too late you know. Really I'm the perfect person for someone with a 'problem' like yours. In fact, you could say it's my specialty…"

Sasuke was about to ask what he meant when he heard a soft poof and a pair of slender arms wound about his waist. He went rigid, and a shiver worked its way down his spine as—were those _breasts_?—pressed against his back.

"Sasuke…" crooned a sultry voice in his ear, "What do you say?" Twisting against the constricting arms, Sasuke found himself staring into the huge blue eyes of a giggling, blushing, _naked_ woman. Tossing her golden hair, the woman leaned in close, "How about a kiss?" Panicking, Sasuke attempted to squirm away, but with the woman's tight grip around his middle, he overbalanced and tumbled on top of her, planting his face right between her—his?—voluptuous breasts. She giggled wildly as he struggled, red as a tomato.

"Naruto, you idiot, stop it!"

"What's wrong?" she asked, "Not your type? No worries, I can accommodate. How about something a little more traditional?"

There was another poof, and Sasuke found himself perched atop a black-haired woman with fine Asian features. Her kimono, white and printed with cherry blossoms, spread around her in graceful folds.

"Better, Sasuke-san?" she said, her voice now low and whispering.

"I-…" he began, but was interrupted by yet another poof. Beads clinked and a grass skirt rustled as he stared into eyes as black as his own. An expanse of dark skin, unlike anything Sasuke had ever seen, spread under his hands, full breasts unhindered by binding.

"Come on…" she crooned.

Suddenly, Sasuke was inexplicably angry. The viciousness of his feelings shocked him, but he was fed up, sick of being toyed with. With an enraged snarl he pinned the woman beneath him, crushing her delicate shoulders flat against the ground. A red mist was filling his vision and he could feel the clear-headedness that signaled the rising of his Sharingan. He stared down into the woman's fearful eyes. _Trickster! I'll rip your mask off! How dare you deceive me!_ The false form was melting under his gaze, dissolving… Then Sasuke found himself flat on his back, the spinning wheels of his eyes staring up into the night sky. The woman—Naruto, now he was confused—must have bucked him off.

Slowly he sat up, feeling the battle blood in his veins drain away. Several feet away, on the other side of the fire, Naruto, in his fox form, stood bristling. Every hair on the animal's body stood erect, and his ears were pressed flat against his skull.

"Never," hissed Naruto, "Never look at me with those demon-eyes again,"

Slightly taken aback by the easy-going fox's change in temperament, Sasuke retaliated, "Then don't do _that_ again, idiot," Without answering, Naruto disappeared with a low growl and a flash of brush tail.

Naruto had not returned by the time Sasuke had settled down for the night, and he was beginning to wonder if the fox meant to abandon him. Turning restlessly in his bedroll, his seal aching fiercely, Sasuke watched the fire, which had died down to a glowing bed of coals. At last the grass across the fire parted and Naruto stepped into the pool of light.

Sasuke ruthlessly quashed the feeling of relief which spread through him at the realization he was not alone. Their eyes locked across the dying fire.

"Did I hurt you?" Sasuke said at last.

The fox snorted "Hardly. I'm not made of glass or anything. What the hell is wrong with you anyway?"

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably in his bedroll, hand automatically going up to touch the seal's point of origin on his neck, "It happened too fast; no one has ever touched me like that. My family always…stayed away,"

He paused a moment, half-afraid Naruto might laugh, or interrupt, but fox remained silent and he continued "They were afraid of the curse, that it might spread, and made sure never to get too close. You were the first person who was willing to look past this monstrosity and offer me intimacy but you did it so carelessly…like it was meaningless,"

Several moments passed in silence before Naruto gave a long-suffering sigh, "You're such a melodramatic bastard. Look, I'm sorry, okay? I probably went about it the wrong way, you're so damn fun to tease, but if it makes you feel any better, if you'd accepted my offer it wouldn't have been meaningless,"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke whispered "I mean the offer is still open for the future, even if you just need to be close to someone, without sex. I understand wanting that and not being able to get it,"

Sasuke's cheeks heated a bit, "Thanks," he mumbled.

The fox gave a good-natured chuckle "Well if I'd known you were going to be such a woman about it I would have been a little gentler. Though I did technically buy you dinner first,"

"Raw rabbit doesn't qualify as dinner," said Sasuke stiffly.

The fox shook his head, "Whatever, it's late and I'm tired. Let's get some sleep," Naruto began circling his body in the grass, padding it down to make a soft nest, while Sasuke rolled onto his back, trying not to flinch as the movement sent a wave of pain through his seal. Unfortunately the ears of foxes are keen and Naruto caught his hiss of indrawn breath.

"What's wrong?" the fox queried, leaving his spot in the grass. "Are you injured?"

"Of course not, idiot," Sasuke grumbled "Now go to sleep," He doggedly shut his eyes and was just trying to will his exhausted mind into slumber when a squirming, fuzzy body tried to cram itself in next to him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he snapped "Get out of there!"

"Shut up for a damn minute and let me do this," Naruto shot back.

Before Sasuke could ask again what he was doing, the fox jammed his cold nose into the side of his neck and shoved, trying to get the boy to expose his throat.

"Move your fat head out of the way," the fox groused "I'm trying to get to the seal, to the point of origin,"

"What!" Sasuke exclaimed, half-sitting up "Don't touch it, it's dangerous! And that hurts you moron!"

"Magical fox spirit, remember?" said Naruto, "I think I'll be okay. And stop whining and squirming around, this will only take a minute. You're worse than a kit getting a bath,"

Sasuke hesitantly lay back and turned his head to the side, trying not to jump as he felt a warm, rough tongue stroke across the three irregular teardrop shapes which formed the seal's central point. The warmth eased the radiating pain and Sasuke felt himself melting against it. Naruto chuckled, burrowing deeper into Sasuke's bedroll to nestle against the boy's side.

"What did I tell you?" he snickered "Magical fox spirit,"

"Shut up, moron" murmured Sasuke as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: These chapters keep getting longer. I feel a bit odd about the ending, but I suppose that's natural considering the long span between the first and last parts. I hope you enjoyed this and please drop me a review. 


	5. Chapter 4: The Scarecrow

A/N: Hello again readers, what's left of you anyway after that ridiculously long wait. I have no excuse for the delay, other than that real life chewed me up, spit me out and stomped on what was left. Also, this chapter, which primarily serves as a transitional chapter, to provide some background information and develop the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke, turned out to be ridiculously long: aproximately 4,300 words. I feel a bit odd about this chapter, mostly because it was not one of the original chapters which I had planned out, but I think I like how it has turned out. I hope you guys enjoy it and that you haven't completely given up on me. I do swear that, no matter how long it takes me to finish the story, which is only intended to be around seven chapters or so, I shall not abandon it. On another note, I was attacked recently by a merciless plotbunny for another Naruto story which, I think, has some potential. So keep an eye out for it and have fun, dear readers.

Disclaimer: I do not own any copyrighted material which may be used or referenced in this story, including but not limited to Naruto, which is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, _The Dream Hunters_ by Neil Gaiman and The Dark Tower series, by Stephen King. I am making no profit from this work of fiction, in fact I'm probably loosing money, somehow.

Warnings: Nothing noteworthy, maybe mild BL (is that what they call it now?). I'm beginning to think that giving this story an M rating was a waste of time. Oh well, I guess it's better to be prepared for anything.

* * *

Chapter 4: The Scarecrow

They traveled, though for how long Sasuke could not say. Time is deceptive in the land of dreams; an entire lifetime can pass in the blink of an eye and a single instant may last forever. All of the strange lands they traveled through had a sun or moon to mark the night and day, but time and seasons seemed to change at will, each time the pair passed a division within the dream realm.

Sasuke thought they wandered aimlessly, but Naruto seemed to know the way, following a path not marked by sun or stars. They had reached a land immersed in the dead of winter and, though he would never admit it, Sasuke was glad for Naruto's warmth in his bedroll at night. After what Sasuke guessed to be around two days or at least two sleeping periods, they came across a marked trail for the first time. It was a faint road, really two wheel tracks in the wet snow, which Naruto turned to follow.

"Are there people near here?" Sasuke asked.

"If you want to call them 'people'" the fox replied "and only a few. We're going to make a slight detour. There's someone I think you should meet. He may be able to help you out,"

"Why is that?" Sasuke said.

"You'll see," said Naruto mysteriously "But I'm warning you, he's a bit of a freak," The fox paused and looked back at him before baring all his fangs in a toothy grin "The two of you should get along great,"

Sasuke shot Naruto a withering glare, but before he could retort he was distracted by a shrieking cry. Up ahead a small crooked tree sat hunched by the side of the path. Its leaves were long gone, and the twisted grey trunk cast a stark silhouette against the overcast sky. A fat, black crow sat in its branches. The animal bobbed its feathered head a few times, sharp beak opening to emit a piercing caw.

"Oh crap," grumbled Naruto to himself, before addressing the crow in a loud voice. "Oi, bird-brain, where the hell's your master? I'm surprised he hasn't stuffed and eaten you yet," The crow flapped its wings and shrieked again. "Take that back, damn you!" the fox bellowed, but the crow only danced with seeming glee from foot to foot, croaking loudly. "That's it, I'm gonna climb up there and kick your ass!"

Sasuke quickly snagged the fox's tail as the animal made a flying leap skyward after the black bird, which launched itself from its perch, and began flying south, following the tracks in the snow.

"Let me go damnit!" Naruto snarled "I'll teach him to open that fat beak of his!"

"Calm down idiot," said Sasuke "Should we follow him?"

"Yeah, I suppose," replied the fox darkly, yanking his injured tail from Sasuke's grip "but he's just as likely to lead us off a cliff as to Kakashi's place,"

"Kakashi?" said Sasuke curiously.

"Yeah, he's a real weirdo: first-class pervert with a terminal inability to be punctual, but he's a damn good fighter when you press him," The fox began to trot down the path and Sasuke hastily followed.

"I still don't understand why we need to see him," Sasuke said.

"He may be able to help train you to use your Sharingan, if I can talk him into it," said Naruto "He's stranger than his pets"--Sasuke assumed he was referring to the crow from before--"if that's even possible,"

Soon a small grove of leafless trees became visible in the distance. A ramshackle cabin, once painted but now faded to some indeterminable hue, sat half hidden among the bare trunks. The crow flew towards the cabin, cawing loudly as it perched on the windowsill. As if in answer to the bird's screeching, the faded, peeling door swung open. A small brown dog, pug nosed and distinctly grumpy looking, emerged from the darkness. It blinked up at Sasuke and Naruto as they approached, and turned to call behind it.

"Oi, Kakashi," it said "The brat's back, and he's brought another brat with him,"

"Nice to see you too, Pakkun," spat Naruto sarcastically "Is the lazy pervert still in bed?"

Pakkun lazily scratched his ear with a hind paw. "Course not, but ever since Jiraiya stopped by with a new copy of that stupid book, he hasn't budged from the couch,"

"Figures," Naruto grumbled, and then shouted past Pakkun's head "Kakashi! You've got guests you big pervert! Pull your nose out of the porn for ten seconds and invite us in!"

"Ma, Naruto, don't be like that," a voice replied from within the cabin. A masked man appeared in the doorway. "I was just putting the kettle on," he said, "Come on in,"

Sasuke stared. He couldn't help it. Kakashi was the strangest looking man he'd ever seen. He was dressed in black from head to toe, with a cloth mask covering his nose, and mouth, and an eye patch on his left eye, all topped off with an outrageous head of spiky silver hair.

His head buried in a bright orange book, the bizarre man gestured for them to enter before returning to what Sasuke assumed was the kitchen. Dazedly Sasuke did so, only to feel the sharp nip of Naruto's teeth on his ankle. Jumping he glanced down at the fox in surprise.

"Take your shoes off, jackass" Naruto said, but when Sasuke knelt to do so the fox pushed close to his ear to whisper into it "and stop staring at him. It annoys him and that's the last thing we need if we're going to talk him into anything,"

"How can I not stare?" Sasuke hissed, "Look at him!"

The fox snickered. "You think that's strange? You haven't seen anything yet; compared to Jiraiya, Kakashi is pretty normal,"

Sasuke shook his head in exasperation, but sat obediently before the low table in the center of the room without a word. It was old and the wood had a dark, well-worn patina. The rich scent of unknown spices filled the air as Kakashi brought out his tea set and poured the golden colored liquid into three plain white porcelain cups. Sasuke pushed down his own mask, watching Kakashi carefully as he did so, but the man only continued blithely pouring the tea. His mouth uncovered, he lifted the tea to his mouth and sipped. It had an intense flavor, with a spicy edge which might have been more appropriate with a food dish, but it cut through the lingering chill in his bones and eased the ache the cold wind left behind.

"The tea water was already hot," Naruto said in a mildly accusatory tone "You knew we were coming,"

Kakashi inclined his head "I sensed you about an hour ago. You _are_ fairly distinctive,"

To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto shot Kakashi an angry glare in response to the comment. "Be careful how fast you let your mouth run Kakashi, it might get away from you," he said coldly.

Kakashi's single eye flickered over to where Sasuke sat before he politely changed the subject. "Naruto, I poured a cup for you as well, why don't you join us?"

"Fine," said Naruto, his irritated gaze not leaving Kakashi for a moment, before he sat back on his haunches and closed his eyes. Sasuke jumped slightly as there was a poof of smoke, but when it cleared there no woman, naked or otherwise, in sight. Instead a blond boy about his age, dressed in loose clothing of an indeterminate grayish hue, sat before the table. He might not have believed this was his companion, but the intense blue eyes had not changed a bit and, to his amusement, he could see three whisker marks, scars or tattoos, he wasn't quite sure, striped across each cheek. A tanned hand reached forward to take the cooling tea.

As the three of them drank their tea in silence, Sasuke couldn't resist watching Naruto from the corner of his eye. He couldn't help wonder if this new form was only an illusion, as his female forms had been, but Naruto had mentioned the fact that he was a half-breed some time ago. Was this his human form? It was certainly more pleasing than any of the female guises had been paraded before him.

Sasuke gave himself a slight mental shake. Now was not the time to be thinking of such things. _Though taking into account his earlier offer…_ He hastily clamped down on that thought, cutting it off before it could fully form and turning his attention back to the other two at the table.

"So, Naruto," Kakashi spoke up "I'm sure that you didn't come all this way simply to have tea with me. What is it you need?"

Naruto's cup clinked slightly against the wood at he set it down. "This is Uchiha Sasuke," he said in answer, gesturing in Sasuke's direction, as though that single phrase would explain all.

Kakashi stiffened slightly. "I see," he replied.

"He's been cursed with Orochimaru's mark," Naruto went on. "I thought you might be able to help him,"

"How so?" said Kakashi, disapproval evident in his voice.

"He's managed to awaken his Sharingan—the first one in his clan, I'm betting, in over a century—but he's unskilled. If he's to have any hope of defeating Orochimaru, he's going to need some proper training," Naruto explained.

"Defeat Orochimaru?" said Kakashi incredulously. "Have you gone mad, Naruto? Even if I could train him, _that_ (he gestured towards the cursed marks on Sasuke's face) would interfere. Besides, he lacks the form of the Sharingan necessary to defeat an opponent such as Orochimaru,"

"Can't you help him do that?" inquired Naruto.

"No." replied Kakashi flatly. "The…price which must be paid for that power is much too high,"

"Why—" Naruto began, but Sasuke cut him off.

"Perhaps," he said, slightly miffed that they were discussing him as though he were not present, "you could simply start by explaining to me what this Sharingan is. Naruto mentioned my clan, but I have never heard of such at thing before, in all our history,"

"You wouldn't" replied Kakashi, his hand drifting absentmindedly towards his eye patch before hastily diverting back towards his lap. "Uchiha Obito, the last true heir to the Sharingan, died well over one hundred years ago. The blood of your clan has become diluted and it is doubtful that any members ever manifest it anymore. Frankly I'm surprised that you have, unless your curse has somehow triggered it,"

"But what is it?" Sasuke pressed.

"Long ago, the Uchiha were a powerful clan of sorcerers," Kakashi said, settling back slightly with his cup in his hands "The Sharingan eye was their most potent asset. Originally it was a mutation of the Byakugan eye, which allowed another clan of sorcerers, the Hyuuga, to see into the future. At its most powerful, the Sharingan can manipulate time and space, copy an enemy's techniques and see through any form of illusion,"

Hope bubbled up inside Sasuke. "Then, I might have a chance of defeating Orochimaru?"

Kakashi's hand came up to cover his eye patch. "It's doubtful. Only someone with a fully realized Sharingan might have a chance, but the final stage of it is a greater curse than the one you carry now," His fingers dug into the skin around his patch viscously and his sharp, black eye bored into both of Sasuke's. "It would be best if you left now and made peace with whatever god you pray to,"

"I'm not afraid," Sasuke shot back.

Kakashi gave a hollow laugh. "Then you are a fool, but this has little to do with fear. Trust me Uchiha Sasuke, if you do achieve the final stage of the Sharingan, you will wish that you had let Orochimaru's curse take you instead,"

"Kakashi," Naruto said, his voice unusually soft, "I need to speak with you alone,"

Kakashi kept his eye fixed on Sasuke, "The answer is no, Naruto. I am still paying for my sins and I will not abet another—"

"Shut up!" hissed Naruto, his eyes flashing dangerously, "You will listen to me Kakashi. Sasuke, please step outside,"

Sasuke almost shot back a retort at being ordered outside like a child, or a dog, but one look at Naruto's face and he changed his mind. He didn't know what it was that made the boy appear so menacing, but his gut, the primal part of him that only thought only in terms of predator, prey, and mate, told him to get the hell out of there.

He quickly rose and exited the door of the cabin, nearly pulling it shut on the small pug-nosed dog that hastily squirmed out after him. The winter sky was beginning to darken and Sasuke could see the firelight shining from beneath the cracks in the door. He was tempted to lean against the rotting wood frame and eavesdrop, but before he could make up his mind he felt Pakkun scratching anxiously at his leg.

"Kid," the dog said, "Lets go see if there are any rabbits running around here and leave those two to fight it out for a bit, okay?"

Sasuke very nearly refused; he was maddeningly curious at to what the two were arguing about, but he finally acquiesced when he saw how nervous Pakkun was. "Fine," he grumbled, turning to follow the small dog.

Once Naruto's keen ears could no longer hear the muffled crunch of Sasuke's zori sandals in the snow, he turned to Kakashi with a serious, but quite calm expression on his face. "Tell me, Kakashi. What is this price that must be paid for the Sharingan?"

Kakashi turned away with a shudder. "Blood," he rasped out, "The blood of the thing you hold most precious,"

Naruto's eyes softened with understanding, "Poor old Kakashi, Obito's "gift" turned out to be a double-edged sword didn't it?"

Kakashi didn't reply.

Naruto sighed, "Well you don't have to worry. Sasuke's an outcast from his family and he's such a cold bastard I doubt there's anything precious to him in this world. He probably could never achieve it,"

"Don't be an idiot, Naruto," Kakashi shot back "I'm not blind; I saw the way he was watching you. He's beginning to care about you, if he doesn't already, and what's more, _you_ care about him in return,"

"So?" snapped Naruto, "He's a good kid, there's nothing wrong—"

"My god, Naruto, don't you know what will happen if you allow yourself to get tangled up in this. Make no mistake, desperate people can make shockingly poor decisions and this boy's been handed a death sentence, one from which there's no escape. What do you think he'll do to try to survive? And you're more at risk than ever; the curse—"

Kakashi reeled back as an angry blast of chakra swelled out from Naruto's body. The rather pleasant-looking boy of a few moments ago had been transformed into feral beast. Newly lengthened fangs were bared and clawed fingers dug into the tabletop as furious red eyes stared into Kakashi's own.

"Never," growled Naruto, his voice deepened to be almost unrecognizable, "Never assume, Kakashi, that you know _anything_ about my curse,"

As Sasuke jogged swiftly after Pakkun, he observed with a detached curiosity the differences between the dog and Naruto. The two animals were roughly the same size, but Pakkun moved like a hunting dog, constantly casting about for a scent. Soon he picked up the trail of a rabbit and sped up, letting out a wild bay.

Sasuke ran faster, coming over a hillock in time to see a white hare burst from some bushes and take off wildly across the open landscape, Pakkun in hot pursuit. Reaching into his weapons pouch, Sasuke pulled out a kunai and took careful aim.

The rabbit thumped to the ground a moment later, the kunai embedded in its side. Pakkun was on it in an instant, baying furiously as he grabbed the animal and shook it. Sasuke trudged wearily up to the dog, which quickly backed off and allowed Sasuke to pick up the carcass by its long ears. As he straitened, Sasuke was struck by a wave of _something_. Raw power and malicious intent swamped him and Pakkun cowered, pressing his belly to the ground.

Stumbling slightly, Sasuke gasped out, "What was that?"

Pakkun whimpered and refused to reply.

"It came from the direction of Kakashi's place!" Sasuke's eyes widened and he took off back the way they had come. He'd only taken a few steps when he realized Pakkun was not following him. "Come on!"

"No way, kid," Pakkun said, "I, for one, would rather keep all my limbs _intact_,"

"Isn't Kakashi your master?" snapped Sasuke, "He could be in trouble!" _Naruto could be in trouble_. He thought, ignoring the way his heart jumped in his chest at the idea.

Pakkun gave him an unreadable look, "Listen kid, I know you're worried, but the brat…will be fine. Don't go back there."

Sasuke snarled in frustration and took off towards the cabin, ignoring Pakkun's final warning shout behind him, the limp ears of the rabbit still clenched in his fist. As he ran he could feel the small body thumping against his leg, blood droplets forming an uneven trail in the white snow behind him. His breath heaved in his lungs and his seal ached terribly, but he pushed himself on, driven by a nameless dread of _something_.

At last he crested the last snowy hillock and stared down at the cabin in disbelief. He had expected violence, destruction, something to explain the monstrous power he had sensed earlier, but all was still. The moon had risen and now cast a peaceful, silvery light over the grove of leafless trees. Golden firelight streamed from the open door of the cabin and Naruto stood on the threshold.

Relief, so strong that it actually surprised him, surged through Sasuke when he saw the boy. Panting, he stood and tried to catch his breath as Naruto emerged from the cabin and crossed the snow to where he was standing. Blue eyes locked with black and for a moment Naruto stared at him, eyes tracing their way across his face. Then the blond boy smiled, "Hey there, bastard," He held out a hand, "Thanks for the rabbit,"

After his mad dash across the snowy countryside the cozy cabin felt almost stifling to Sasuke and he made an effort to loosen his mask and shirt. When he reached towards his face he realized with a start that he had left the mask, removed so he could drink his tea, behind when he had exited the cabin previously. The realization made him slightly nervous, but neither Naruto nor Kakashi mentioned anything about the hideous marks. Sasuke relaxed slightly at this, comforted by the unspoken acceptance.

Kakashi sat rigidly at his table, hands interlaced before his face. As Naruto disappeared into the kitchen with the rabbit, Sasuke sat, head bowed respectfully, on the other side of the table to await the verdict. His lowered eyes widened as he caught sight of several fresh grooves carved into the tabletop, which had definitely not been there when he had left earlier. They looked to have been made by claws, but the edges were burned, as though the wood had been cut away with a heated knife. _Maybe I'm not so crazy_. He thought. _Something did happen_.

Kakashi finally broke the silence. "I have changed my mind," he said, his tone one of irritation, "I will train you. You are to remain here, with Naruto, for one week. That is all the time I can give you. Whatever happens after is up to you. We start tomorrow,"

"Thank you," said Sasuke, lowering his body in a polite bow.

Kakashi snorted, "Don't thank me yet, boy,"

A few days later, Sasuke stood in an impression in the wet snow, his right wrist clenched in his left, palm up before his face. His red eyes watched in amazement as pure electricity crackled in his palm, the sound like the frantic chirping of so many birds.

"You have to build up speed, or the technique will not work," Kakashi was lecturing him, his eye patch pulled up on his forehead to reveal his own Sharingan, set in the center of a huge vertical scar. At last Sasuke understood why Naruto insisted that they go to Kakashi, but he wondered at the story behind the eye, which was obviously not one of Kakashi's own. "The intention is to make your right arm a sword of pure chakra, which can cut through anything. You mastered the variations of the Katon fire jutsu easily enough, so your chakra control should be sufficiently fine-tuned to handle the Chidori. Try it out on that tree, the one on the end. I don't want you missing and blasting away half my house,"

Sasuke nodded absently and dropped his hand to drag in the snow as he raced forward. His heart leapt in his chest as he charged, his legs propelling him at far greater speeds than he had ever been able to achieve, even with years of solitary training. Another trick of the Sharingan Kakashi had taught him.

The last week had been one of the most difficult of Sasuke's life, as he struggled to compress the equivalent of years of training into the space of a few days. Luckily he had always been a fast learner, and having Naruto there to spar with when Kakashi was done with him for the day had been a great help. To his surprise, the fox-boy was an excellent fighter, a bit less exact than some, but he made up for it with sheer stubbornness. He was also remarkably easy to goad, which made their scuffles all the more amusing. Sasuke had never felt more content than when he collapsed next to Naruto on the muddy ground after one of their fights, the pain of his seal muted by the pain of aching muscles and the snow burned away beneath them by the force of their efforts.

After their last tussle, Naruto, despite his exhaustion, had pounced on Sasuke and made a concerted attempt to smear the mud from the ground onto his face. As the two struggled, Sasuke had felt a great pressure welling up inside his chest, increasing until it became too much to bear. His lips parted and suddenly he was laughing, bone-shaking laughs that made his vision blur from tears and his belly ache. When he was finally able to get himself under control, he realized Naruto had stopped trying to spread mud on his hair and was instead watching him, an expression of awe in those blue eyes.

Sasuke smiled weakly, a bit embarrassed at being caught in such an uncontrolled moment, but Naruto's eyes were soft and a little smile was on his face. "You should laugh more, bastard," he said, but the insult held no sting.

Sasuke squirmed uncomfortably before the discerning gaze, "I can't remember the last time I laughed," he admitted.

"You have to laugh," Naruto said wisely, "If you forget to laugh then you've forgotten the reason for living,"

"But what if all hope is gone?" Sasuke said, half to himself.

Naruto's whiskered cheeks turned up in a smile, "That's when you have to laugh the most of all,"

_Laugh_. Sasuke thought, as he lunged forward, arm out, his palm full of lighting as he blasted the trunk of the tree to splinters.

"Your week is up," announced Kakashi one morning.

Sasuke looked up in surprise from his cup of tea. Sure enough, when he thought back to the days they had spent here, he realized they _had_ been there for only a week. It had felt like much longer.

"Figured so," said Naruto with a yawn, "Don't worry, we'll pack up and be out of your hair by this afternoon,"

"As if you could ever be anywhere but in someone's hair," Sasuke jibbed.

As Naruto spluttered in protest, Sasuke felt Kakashi's eyes on him. He shifted his gaze towards the older man. Kakashi's eye was wary, and Sasuke could feel the unspoken threat as he watched him. What he did not understand was why Kakashi felt the need to make such a warning.

"Naruto," Sasuke murmured, cutting off the boy in his tirade about bastards who have no respect for their elders, "I'm going to pack,"

Naruto gave Kakashi a sharp look as Sasuke rose and entered the small bedroom where they had been sleeping on the floor for the past week. He tended to keep his things together so it was only a matter of hefting his small pack on his back. When he returned to the living area Naruto was standing by the door, waiting for him. He passed Kakashi on his way to the door and paused a moment.

"Thank you for training me," Sasuke said quietly, "I know you did not wish to do so,"

Kakashi was silent for a moment, "You were a good student, one of the best I've had. I am only sorry that we had to meet under such terrible circumstances," He raised his head and looked Sasuke square in the eye, "Good luck on your journey, Uchiha Sasuke," He hesitated, "Be careful, and remember, things are not always how they appear to be,"

Sasuke puzzled over the bizarre advice for a moment when Naruto's voice startled him from his reverie.

"Come on, bastard," Naruto called from the door, "I'm getting old waiting for you,"

With a final nod to Kakashi, Sasuke followed Naruto, down the path which would lead him to the end of his journey.

* * *

A/N: Wow, that was long. If you find you have the time or inclination, please drop me a review.

In regards to Chapter 5, it is in the planning stages, but I have not begun work on it yet, so it may take some time before you see me again. However, if you find yourself bored, you could always pop over to my profile and take a look at my favorites, or better yet, my other story "The Death of Uchiha Sasuke". I'm oddly proud of it and it's less morbid than it sounds, though considering some events in the Naruto manga, I fear the title may turn out to be a little too accurate. Oh well, as a dear friend of mine predicted, by the end of the series, Sasuke will likely die or have hot mansex with Naruto. Honestly it looks like it could go either way. :)


	6. Chapter 5: The Gate

A/N: Hello again readers. Sorry for the excessively long wait, real life got in the way, then the damn chapter REFUSED to end. It got away from me and by the time I finally finished it, more than 6,000 words later, and reread it multiple times to check for errors I found myself with a giant monster fight, some NejiHinata, GaaraLee and a brief sex scene on my hands. (sigh) I hope that the other pairings don't put anyone off the story, they're not explicit, but they fit well with the chapter. I would also like to note that the inclusion of GaaraLee is almost entirely the responsibility of Maldoror's fic "Diplomatic Relations", which single-handedly made me a believer in this pairing. Go read it, I recomend it completely.

I can't believe that I'm only two chapters away from being finished with this fic, I'll try to be better about updating but I can't make any promises. As a gift to apologize for my long absence I'm posting a short SasuNaru one-shot called Healing Scars I did a short time ago on a whim. It started out angsty but ended up sappy, for as much as I love conflict I can be a hopeless romantic. Beware the sap! And my inability to think of decent titles. Thank you for listening to my rambling and enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or _The Dream Hunters_ by Neil Gaiman. They are the property of their respective copyright holders. I am making no profit from this work of fiction. Neither do I own my soul, which is the property of god or the devil. Right now it's up in the air.

Warnings: Turns out my fears that this story would never need a mature rating were unfounded. There is a brief non-explicit sex scene between Sasuke and Naruto. I'm hoping it's not enough to warrant my fic being taken down. Sorry everyone who was hoping for more. This was my first sex scene and I'm no good with smut. Other than that no warnings of note, unless NejiHinata counts as incest.

* * *

Chapter 5: The Gate

Sasuke thankfully breathed in warm air as the two boys passed through yet another ripple in the fabric of the land of dreams. This new land was at the height of summer, and after the dull winter landscape of Kakashi's home it glowed with a myriad of colors. Long grasses bowed slightly in the breeze, but the leaves on the trees, many loaded with fruit like red and yellow jewels, were portrait still. The summer air was filled with the unceasing rasp of cicadas and Sasuke could feel his muscles relaxing as the warmth enfolded his body. His eyes involuntarily drifted shut for a moment, succumbing to the sleepiness of summer, until he heard Naruto call out to him.

"Come on, bastard," the blond boy shouted from where he stood up ahead of Sasuke. "I want to find a stream by nightfall,"

Sasuke hurried to follow Naruto, still unused to tailing that shock of blond hair rather than the orange, bushy tail of his fox form. Curious, he asked "Is that form an illusion? Like the others?"

Naruto glanced at him as he came up alongside the blond boy. "This? Naw, since I'm a half-breed this body is just the human equivalent of my fox form,"

"Then why did you travel as a fox until we reached Kakashi's place?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shrugged in reply, "No reason. I'm equally as comfortable in both forms, so to be honest I didn't really think about it," A smirk crossed his face. "Besides, as a fox I got to share your bedroll. It would have been a shame to give up a position that cozy,"

Sasuke felt himself flush slightly. "You still could," he heard himself mumble, and kicked himself for his idiocy.

Naruto froze for a moment and stared at Sasuke. _Oh, god. Kakashi wasn't kidding. Damn that man for being so perceptive._ He thought as he watched a blush chase its way across Sasuke's pale cheek. Then he remembered his resolution the night he convinced Kakashi to train the boy. His lips twitched in a sad smile and his hand rose to touch Sasuke's face, brushing lightly across the livid black curse marks. The other boy flinched slightly, but Naruto flattened his palm against his cheek and turned Sasuke to face him.

"I'd like that," he said simply.

And that was how, hours later, as Naruto banked the fire for the night Sasuke found himself beside his own bedroll, trying to summon up the courage to actually invite the other boy in. _I shouldn't be so damn nervous_. He thought. _It's not as if we're going to _do _anything_. He rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his pants. _Note to self: always review any sentences at least twice before speaking them_.

Naruto eventually solved the problem in his typically raucous way. Fed up that Sasuke was taking so damn long to get into bed, he pushed past the other boy and hopped into the sleeping bag. "Oi, bastard, hurry up and get in here. It's late and I'm tired,"

Sasuke swallowed nervously and tried to wiggle into the bedroll. It was a tight fit, the layered bag of cloth was not really meant for two, and the hot summer night made the close proximity to the other boy rather stifling. He squirmed uncomfortably for a few moments before peeling back the top layers of the bedroll, leaving their upper bodies exposed to the night air. Sufficiently cooled, he settled back, his shoulder touching Naruto's. Sasuke's eyes were drifting shut when he felt Naruto push his head to the side and begin to lick at the curse seal on his throat.

A shiver shot up Sasuke's spine and he jerked away. "What the hell are you doing?!" he said.

Naruto looked at him in surprise. "Just the same thing I've been doing every night. Working on the seal so you can sleep,"

"I don't remember you doing that last week!" Sasuke said, ignoring the way his voice squeaked embarrassingly.

Naruto snickered. "You spent the last week passed out from exhaustion every night after training. I doubt you'd have noticed if I bit you. What's the problem anyway?"

Sasuke didn't want to say that there was something _very_ different about letting a cute, if annoying, fox lick your neck and allowing a cute, if annoying, boy to do the same thing. Naruto seemed oblivious to the reason for his discomfort and he certainly wasn't going to point it out. "Nothing," he mumbled in reply, steeling himself and exposing his neck to the other boy.

As always, the touch of Naruto's tongue soothed the ache of the curse seal, which had been a background to his thoughts for as long as he could remember, but now Sasuke dreaded the absence of the pain, which left a void being rapidly filled by the warm flush of arousal. Naruto's mouth was warm on his throat and his tongue tickled across the sensitive skin. Sasuke shivered despite the heat.

"Relax, bastard," Naruto mumbled, nuzzling his throat in an attempt to soothe him.

"Easy for you to say," Sasuke mumbled, turning his head to meet Naruto's eyes. The other boy was so close he could see the crinkles of skin in the corners of his eyes, shadowed in the dim light of the fire, as Naruto smiled. His moist breath felt far too hot in the small space between them.

Naruto's lips, dry and chapped, but still yielding, brushed across Sasuke's; a question. With a soft sigh, Sasuke melted against the other boy. _Yes_.

Sasuke felt remarkably clumsy as he attempted to kiss back, but Naruto was patient and smart enough to keep things from getting too far out of hand. By the time the banked fire had died down to ashes the two boys were asleep.

When Sasuke woke the next morning Naruto was already up and about, in the process of spitting two silver scaled fish he had caught while Sasuke still slumbered. Prompted by the smell of roasting fish, Sasuke crawled from his bedroll and began packing it up. He made a face as he ran his fingers through his lank and dirty hair, working out the tangles.

"Do we have time for a quick bath?" he asked Naruto.

The blond boy shrugged, "If you'd like, but we're not too far from the Hyuuga's. I was planning on spending the night with Hinata and Neji and they have a proper bath, if that sounds better,"

The prospect of hot water after uncounted days of bathing in frigid streams was enough to motivate Sasuke to swiftly pack up all his meager belongings and wolf down his share of the fish so quickly that he burnt his tongue.

When the Hyuuga's house first came into sight Sasuke thought, for one bizarre moment, he had suddenly been transported back to his own home. In this strange world it was odd to see a house designed in such a completely traditional manner, right down to the formal gardens around it. A young man, dressed in a white yukata, his long dark hair loose around him, stood on the veranda, waiting for them.

"Neji!" shouted Naruto cheerfully. "I should have guessed you knew we were coming,"

"Hinata-sama said to expect visitors," Neji replied, his tone mild. He turned his eyes, which were a milky bone-white color and lacked pupils, towards the dark haired boy. "Who is this?"

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said, unable to curb the instinct to make a formal bow. The man had obviously been raised in polite society and Sasuke found himself uncomfortably aware of his own ragged condition.

Neji raised an eyebrow, "Uchiha? Then we are practically cousins. Welcome. I am Hyuuga Neji, please come in. My wife, Hinata-sama is inside."

"I can't believe you still call her that after all the years you've been married," Naruto snickered "I sure hope you don't call her that in private,"

Neji's expression was severe, "Hinata-sama is one of the blessed. It is proper that I should speak of her with respect. Now please," he gestured for them to enter before disappearing into the depths of the house.

Sasuke sat on the edge of the veranda to remove his sandals. Naruto flopped down beside him, toeing off his own footwear. "What was he referring to when he said 'one of the blessed'?" Sasuke asked in a low voice, politely mindful of their host's close proximity.

"Remember when Kakashi mentioned the Hyuuga clan could see into the future?" Naruto said "Well that's only partially true; not every Hyuuga can. Even if they do sometimes their power only manifests partially. Hinata's what you might call an oracle. She has visions and sometimes dreams of the future, but she can also use tools: tarot cards, bones, tea leaves, that kind of thing, in order to channel her power. Neji doesn't have that strong of an ability, so he just gets these 'hunches' when something big is about to happen,"

"And these oracles are revered in the Hyuuga clan?" Sasuke said.

"Yeah, but being an oracle's a tough gig," said Naruto. "The stronger a Hyuuga's power is, the worse their physical health and eyesight tend to be. Neji can see pretty well, but Hinata's been completely blind since birth,"

Sasuke hesitated a moment, "Do you think, if I asked, Hinata would try to see my future?"

Naruto went still. When he finally turned to look at Sasuke his expression was troubled. "I'm sure she would if you asked, but sometimes I think you're better off not knowing what lies ahead," he looked at the sky pensively, lost in his own thoughts. His face darkened for a moment "I've never put much stock in fate. I think we make our own destiny,"

Sasuke felt a chill which had nothing to do with the temperature.

"I've prepared some tea," Neji's smooth voice interrupted. Naruto quickly rose and offered Sasuke his hand.

Neji led them into a cozy living area, where a young woman sat at a low table, pouring tea. She was dressed in a white yukata which matched her husband's and her dark hair was sheared off just below her ears. She turned at the sound of their footsteps.

"Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed.

The woman smiled "Welcome, Naruto-kun. When I had a dream of visitors two days ago I thought it might be you."

"How have you and the brats been?" Naruto asked, flopping down atop one of the cushions at the low table. Sasuke sat beside him in a much more graceful manner, shaking his head at the idiot's rudeness.

Hinata's eyes, which were as white as her husband's and had the unfocused look of the blind, crinkled in amusement. "Reiko and Aki are doing well. Hanabi has taken them out to the lake for the day. They should be back by tomorrow. I promised to let them stay over with their cousins tonight," she turned blind eyes towards Sasuke, "Who is this?"

"Uchiha Sasuke, Hinata-san," replied Sasuke, covering his surprise that the sightless woman had sensed him among the group.

Her sculpted eyebrows arched "Uchiha? Your clan hasn't been seen in this world since well over a hundred years ago. Most of the Hyuuga believed you had all died out,"

"Evidently they've been living in the human realm for years," Naruto broke in, "I'm betting ever since Uchiha Obito was killed,"

Hinata nodded sagely, "His death would have hit them hard; he was the last of the true heirs to the Sharingan. But I'm being lax in my duties; the two of you must be hungry,"

Dinner was simple, but the white, sticky rice and roasted fish were hot and filling. The warm food, combined with the exhaustion from the road, made Sasuke deliciously content and sleepy. He stifled a yawn as he sipped a cup of hot tea after the meal. Naruto of course noticed despite his efforts to hide his fatigue. The fox grinned.

"Hey Hinata, Neji," he said "I hate to seem impolite, but could we maybe get a bath and a bed pretty soon? Looks like someone's asleep on his feet," his voice was teasing. Sasuke glared at him.

"Of course," Neji answered, "The bath is down the hall, the last door on the left. Towels, robes and bathing supplies are in the closet inside the door," His white eyes watched Naruto carefully.

Naruto rose and stretched with exaggerated sleepiness. "Hey, bastard?" he said casually, "Why don't you go on ahead. I'll be there in a minute,"

Confused, Sasuke was about to protest, but Naruto had that _look_ on his face again, the one that said that something serious was going on. Frustrated but unsure at what else to do, Sasuke rose and thanked his hosts for the meal. Throwing a worried glance over his shoulder at his blond companion, he left for the bath.

"Naruto," Neji murmured, "May I speak with you outside?"

Naruto looked over at Hinata.

"I'll just clean up in here," she said softly.

"Are you sure?" Naruto said, "Maybe I should speak with you too,"

A gentle, sad smile spread across Hinata's face, "No, Naruto, we have spoken before and what I have seen has not changed. There is no more I can tell you,"

Shifting around the table, Naruto knelt at her side, "Hinata, I—"

The woman reached out and captured one of his hands between her own, "You have been given a difficult path to walk Naruto, but remember, the future has not yet been determined,"

Naruto dropped a gentle, polite kiss on the back of Hinata's hand, before rising to follow her husband out into the garden.

Neji stood on the garden path, his head tilted upward, watching the darkening sky. "The full moon is tonight," he said, not turning his eyes away from the heavens.

"I know," said Naruto, his expression serious. His eyes drifted over beyond the edges of the garden, where a large, red shrine gate jutted up against the horizon, the polished paint gleaming in the dying light. "How is he?"

"Not well," Neji replied, "His guardian is not here,"

Naruto jerked in surprise, "Not here? Where is Lee? He shouldn't be gone so close to this time,"

"A mission," said Neji, "By order of the Dream King. He was needed,"

Naruto swore softly under his breath, "He is needed here! Can the gate hold Shukaku?"

"Perhaps," said Neji, "Gaara will fight of course. But the gate is old; if the madness takes him tonight he may be able to break through,"

Naruto sensed the unspoken request, "Can it wait until midnight?"

"I think so," replied Neji, "The moon will not have reached its zenith until then, but what about you?" his eyes were worried as he turned to face Naruto fully for the first time.

"My control is better," Naruto said, running his hand through his hair nervously, "Moonrise doesn't affect me like it used to, but I need to wait if at all possible until Sasuke is asleep. I don't want him following me,"

Neji watched him carefully, "I might have guessed as much. Do you think then, that he is the one?"

Naruto gazed back upward in reflection, "I do. It was hard to see at first; I've searched for such a long time and I didn't want to hope, but I have this feeling, and I see strength in him,"

"Strength enough to hold _it _back, but what of Orochimaru's curse?" said Neji.

Naruto laughed without humor, "Since when has anything in my life been easy? Without the curse we would never have met, but it is an unexpected obstacle," Naruto hesitated, his eyes sad, "To help him, I'm going to have to hurt him worse than that curse ever will,"

"And what about you Naruto?" Neji said, suddenly angry, "What will happen to you?"

Naruto regarded him mildly, "You heard Hinata's prediction just as I did. We'll just have to see if Sasuke's heart is true. If it is there's a chance for us, but if not," he shrugged, "We're both doomed,"

Sasuke sat, soaking in the heated pool of water in the Hyuuga bath, his mind in turmoil. Naruto was so secretive, and Sasuke sensed that something bigger than what he could see, even with his powerful eyes, was moving just beyond his sight.

He heard the door to the bath slide open and turned half around. "Naruto?" he called.

There was a momentary silence and then the blond boy, wrapped in a clean towel, stepped into the doorway of the room with the soaking pool, a wide smile on his face. "Hey, bastard," Naruto said affectionately "I'll be with you in a second, just let me wash off,"

Sasuke leaned back, feeling absurdly comforted with the awareness of Naruto's location. He listened to the soothing splash of water as Naruto cleansed himself, before lazily cupping a handful of the blood-warm water and pouring it over his own shoulders. A tall wooden and paper lantern in the corner cast flickering shadows on the walls of the bath and he paused a moment, studying the pattern on his arms in the dim light. He almost never dared to look at the unclean marks, as if refusing to acknowledge them might banish the curse. The abstract squiggles completely covered his right arm and were winding their way below the elbow of his left. His stomach twisted slightly at the sight and he let his arms fall back into the water with a splash.

"We're guests here, don't go splashing water all over the place," Naruto scolded good-naturedly. Sasuke gave a pointed look at the trail of water Naruto left behind him. The boy gave a wicked grin and shrugged, slipping into the water across from Sasuke. The smirk faded from his face as he saw Sasuke's troubled look, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sasuke mumbled, tilting his head back to avoid Naruto's gaze.

Naruto watched the taut lines of the other boy's body as he stared pensively at the ceiling. Sasuke was thinking again, and he would bet his entire, nonexistent savings that it was about Orochimaru. No good would come of such thoughts. Leaning forward, he directed a sultry stare in the other boy's direction, "So," he murmured, waggling his eyebrows, his voice deliberately husky "this is the second time I've gotten you naked,"

Sasuke jerked his head forward like a startled horse. His eyes widened and he flushed as he stared at Naruto, before quickly collecting himself. "Stop joking around," he said brusquely, but Naruto's keen ears could hear the wistful tone beneath the gruff comment. His heart tightened. If he could seduce this boy he was sure he could find a wealth of feeling beneath the cold veneer. And Sasuke deserved to be seduced, offered warmth after all the rejection he'd suffered from those who should have loved him unconditionally.

_This could be something wonderful, if he lets it_. Naruto thought, allowing the affection he'd come to feel for the boy to soften his eyes. _I almost wish it won't be; it would make it easier when we reach the end of this journey, but if his feelings aren't true, if he isn't strong enough, then all this will be for nothing. He's so young, I wish I didn't have to rely on him, but Orochimaru has taken any time he might have had to mature away from us. I have to try to bond now, before we cross the desert; gods willing _he_ may recognize Sasuke. _

Aloud Naruto said, "Who's joking?"

Sasuke froze, "You're propositioning me _now_?"

Naruto eased over towards the other boy, entrapping him against the side of the bath. A damp hand wound into Sasuke's unruly hair and Naruto looked him straight in the eye. "Yes," he replied simply, tugging the other boy into a kiss.

As they crept through the darkened halls, Sasuke could feel an almost unbearable excitement; his heart pounded with nervousness. His sleeping yukata, dampened by residue from the bath, clung to his skin, his palm was sweaty where Naruto's smaller hand clasped his, and the soft thud of their bare feet against the tatami matting sounded far too loud in the silence.

Naruto slid the door to one of the guest rooms open and tugged him inside, pulling Sasuke to him in the motion. His arms wrapped around Sasuke's neck, his body molding to the other boy's as he pressed a silent, desperate kiss to his mouth. Despite his penchant for turning into women, he was not soft and yielding; Sasuke could feel the sharp protrusion of a hip bone pressing into his belly, and Naruto's eyes fairly blazed in the dark room, a reminder of his inhumanity. Sasuke wondered at the other boy's sudden hunger, but Naruto pressed a kiss to his throat to distract him and he shivered, unable to suppress a moan. He was shaking all over, he wanted to pull back, it was too intimate, the sensations were too much, too fast, but then Naruto slipped a hand between the folds of his yukata and wrapped graceful fingers around him and he couldn't think any more.

He found himself on the futon, flat on his back, without really knowing how he had gotten there. The cool blankets twisted beneath him, contrasting with Naruto's heated skin as the other boy twined against him like a cat. Naruto's clever fingers found the loose tie to his robe and peeled it open, drawing back a moment to examine his lover in the dim light.

Sasuke felt a moment of panic, the instinctual urge to cover himself from scrutiny, but Naruto scented his fear and soothed him, running that gentle tongue along the maze of black marks, easing pain and arousing pleasure. Sensation grew confused after that. He felt Naruto settle atop him, guiding his hands up to grasp the other boy's hips and then ecstasy, ecstasy within a tight space and he was shattering, waves crashing over him, leaving oblivion in their wake.

Naruto ran his fingers through Sasuke's spiky hair, flattened against the pillows from their activities. He was gentle, careful not to wake the other boy. _I was right_. He thought in pleasure; he could almost feel _him_ purring in contentment at Sasuke's touch. Naruto wanted nothing more than to burrow closer to Sasuke's side and sleep the night away, but he had made a promise to Neji. Stealthily he slipped from the futon, gathering his clothes and creeping out the door without a sound. He hoped Sasuke would sleep until well after dawn, when he could finally return.

_Danger!_ An internal cry jerked Sasuke from slumber on instinct. He was out of bed and on his feet in an instant, his body reacting before his sleepy mind could catch up. Something was wrong. As his exhausted mind struggled to comprehend what it was, he became aware of an irregularity. _Wait a minute._ He thought. _Where's Naruto?_

He yanked on the first piece of clothing he could find, his sleeping robe, and ran through the darkened hallways of the Hyuuga house barefoot. He dashed out into the garden, nearly slipping on the dew-slick grass. Neji stood at the far end of the garden, a dim silhouette before a huge, wooden shrine gate. He turned at the sound of Sasuke's frenetic footsteps.

Sasuke couldn't even bring himself to feel foolish as he stood there in his sleeping robe, tousled and smelling of sex. "Where is he?" he demanded.

Neji did not question who he was referring to, the older man merely turned back to the shrine gate and gazed through it.

Sasuke followed the direction of his stare and choked back a gasp of shock. Beyond the heavy wooden poles, an endless desert spread before the two men. Two monsters were locked in combat beneath the moonlit sky. The pale light washed all color from the landscape, creating a panorama of light and shadow, an eerie sight.

The two monsters were chest to chest as they grappled, great clawed paws tearing viciously at each other's flesh. One of the creatures, a squat animal vaguely resembling a badger, pulled back slightly, swinging its massive tail, which was covered with dense, overlapping plates, against the other in a blow which made the ground shake. The force of the clout rolled the two monsters over in a tangle of limbs and tails, placing the badger-monster on top, and the other creature dug clawed hind feet into its belly in retaliation. The badger roared in pain, releasing its opponent, and the other monster leapt free, the moonlight illuminating it clearly for the first time. Nine restless tails, longer than tree trunks, writhed as if alive around the form of a monstrous fox. Its maw gaped, exposing dripping, eager fangs to the night air as it dove back towards the badger.

A sick feeling of fear twisted in Sasuke's stomach. The air was thick with the monstrous power which had so terrified him at Kakashi's home. Now it made sense, how the source had disappeared so quickly; _Naruto_ had been the source.

Numbly, he turned towards Neji, "How?" he said. His voice was hoarse.

"The Nine Tailed Demons are ancient gods," replied Neji, his voice never wavering from its even tone. "They have existed since the time of the Creators. The other gods, the gods of the humans, feared their power, for they abide by no laws but the law of nature. But few were strong enough to slay them and to do so would create an imbalance in the natural order, the equilibrium of positive and negative. So the gods conspired together and bound each of the demons to the essences of other beings, some human, the others lesser spirits," He paused a moment, his eyes sad, "Naruto has held the strongest of the demons, the nine-tailed Kyuubi, for over a hundred years,"

"But if the demons are imprisoned, then how…?" Sasuke was cut off as a particularly fierce blow from the fox sent the badger barreling backward. The ground shook with the force.

"We should be safe here, this gate is meant to hold back the one-tailed Shukaku," said Neji, with an expression of mild disdain at his anxiety, "To answer your question though, to be the vessel of a demon is not an easy task. A demon's power is subject to the rhythms of nature, such as the changing of the seasons, and particularly the waxing and waning of the moon. The One-Tailed Shukaku in particular has always had a great affinity for the moon, and on nights when it is full," he nodded up towards the bright disk above the grappling monsters, "Gaara, the vessel, is unable to hold back the demon's consciousness without the aid of his Guardian,"

"Guardian?" said Sasuke.

"Another being which serves as a magical and emotional anchor, one to whom the demon responds positively. The vessels cannot choose these guardians, they can only be found. Lee is Gaara's anchor, and he would normally hold back the demon's power by refocusing it elsewhere, through powerful emotions, such as aggression and lust,"

Sasuke turned slightly red at the realization, "So they would either fight or—"

"Yes," said Neji calmly "But Lee is away on a mission. Since he is not here, Naruto has deliberately placed himself in the proximity of Shukaku, in order to awaken the Kyuubi, which can act as a focus for Shukaku's rage. However, this is very dangerous, since neither vessel has a Guardian. If either demon looses interest, or the battle gets out of control, the conflict may spill through the gate. It would be advisable to be on our guard and prepared to run if necessary,"

"Naruto has no Guardian?" Sasuke said, "He's been a vessel for over a hundred years, isn't it unusual that he hasn't found one yet?"

"Yes," said Neji, "It is not only unusual, but also quite dangerous. While Naruto's control over the Kyuubi has improved with time, the demon's influence over his mind has also grown. If Naruto does not find a Guardian soon, the Kyuubi may break free and wreak havoc on the celestial world,"

His focus brought back to the more immediate problem by an ear-bleeding roar, Sasuke opened his mouth to ask what could be done about the brawling monsters on the doorstep when he was interrupted by an exuberant shout from the darkness.

"Such pessimism, Neji, my friend!" cried a dark blur as it sped by the two men, "No matter how hopeless poor Naruto's fate may seem, we must give him our unwavering faith! As my eternally wise mentor once said--"

The blur skidded to a halt just to Neji's left, resolving itself into the shape of a tall, thin young man. Sasuke stared. Naruto had been right; there _were_ stranger beings in this world than Kakashi. The young man was taller than even Neji, and seemed to be all arms and legs. He wore skintight clothing that seemed to be made of a single piece of fabric, without seams or fasteners. His black hair, slightly tossed from his mad dash, hung in an unsightly bowl cut, complete with bangs which ended above the largest eyebrows which Sasuke had ever seen and a glistening white smile which was nearly blinding even in the dim light. Sasuke found himself squinting against the gleam.

"Lee," Neji acknowledged, unfazed "while it is good that you are here, weren't you on a mission for the Dream King? One that was supposed to take a week to complete?"

"Affirmative," said Lee, "But it is my duty to be here as well. Since I could not put aside either task, I swore that I would complete the job in less time than the week allotted and return here in time for the rising of the moon! However, I am rather late, so if you would excuse me," he gave a vague nod of greeting in Sasuke's direction and made a flying leap of impressive proportions through the shrine gate, his foot extended towards the massive badger, which had scored a hit against the fox. His tiny figure looked almost comical against the colossal form, until he made contact.

Shukaku crashed to the ground with a howl of surprise, its heavy body sending up clouds of sand. Lee was everywhere, moving faster than Sasuke's eyes could follow, even as he felt the burn of the Sharingan across his pupils. Lee struck, retreated and moved to strike again, all as the badger clawed ineffectually at him.

"Gaara!" Lee bellowed, "I know you can hear me! Pull him back Gaara!"

"Silence, mortal," rumbled Shukaku, "He is not deaf, and your screeching annoys my ears,"

Lee skidded to a halt some distance from the huge badger, watching it with the easy wariness of one who is used to a danger. "Are you willing to listen to reason now?" he asked.

Shukaku grumbled and reluctantly extended a paw, pads upward, towards Lee. The young man stepped confidently onto it and the monster drew him up towards its head. Lee placed his hands upon the huge muzzle with surprising gentleness. Shukaku's ears twitched restlessly, but it allowed the contact.

"Gaara," Lee said, "You can stop fighting now. I can handle it from here,"

Shukaku snorted and Lee smacked its nose lightly in retaliation. It gave a long-suffering sigh, and then suddenly whipped its heavy tail up to guard against the eager claws of the fox, which had picked itself up from where the badger had thrown it. Lee leapt clear, landing with astounding grace directly upon Shukaku's head. "Naruto!" he squawked in indignation.

A rumbling laugh echoed from the fox's throat, "The brat overestimated his control tonight," the Kyuubi said gleefully, "Keep a weather eye to your mortal, Shukaku, lest I devour him,"

The badger growled warningly, readying itself for a fresh assault.

As the two monster clashed once more, Sasuke could feel the ripples of psychic shock waves through the gate. "How long can this possibly last?" he asked Neji.

"Only until sunrise," said Neji, "When the moon is gone, the demon's power will wane and Naruto should be able to take control. However, there may be a way to calm the Kyuubi before that time," he gave Sasuke an unreadable look "I will need your help though,"

Sasuke watched the raging fox beneath the moon, and thought of the gentle boy who he had traveled with. He turned determined eyes towards Neji, "I will do whatever is necessary,"

"As you wish," said Neji, and turned with surprising swiftness, grasping him by the collar of his robe. He spun in a tight circle, dragging Sasuke with him, before hurling the other boy through the shrine gate, directly into the path of the charging fox.

Sasuke landed in an ungainly sprawl, the cold sand burning and scraping his skin as he rolled over the dunes. He tried to scramble to his feet, but the fox was too close. The ground shook, he could hear Lee's frantic cry of warning and he held out both hands in a futile, warding gesture.

The Kyuubi halted, poised half over him, and peered down at the tiny mortal between its paws. "Are you sending me sacrifices now, Gatekeeper?" it said, turning its head towards where Neji stood calmly beneath the shrine gate. It sniffed the air and gave a booming laugh "Surely a virgin maiden would be more appropriate?"

Lee, who had figured out instantly what Neji must be doing, yelled down to the confused boy in frenzied excitement "You there! Quickly! Lay your hands on the demon!"

Red eyes, the Sharingan activated in response to his panic, widened "What!" Sasuke shouted.

"You must lay your hands on the demon!" Lee shouted again, "Trust me!"

_Easier said than done_. Thought Sasuke, rolling to his feet as a huge paw crashed down beside him, sending choking clouds of sand billowing into the air. Gathering himself as best he could, Sasuke put on a burst of speed and darted between the demons legs. A wave of heated, foul smelling air blasted across the back of his head and he heard the deafening click of huge fangs that snapped shut behind him. _This had better work you eye browed freak_. He lunged for a mammoth hind leg.

Only to stumble onto the sand as it was yanked out of his reach. The fox turned with surprising quickness for such a huge beast, leaping above his head with a barking laugh. Its eyes gleamed madly.

"Did you think it would be so easy, mortal?" it said "I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the strongest of the Tailed Demons. I will not submit to a mere mortal boy, no matter what my brat may think," It grinned again, "Now catch me if you can,"

Before Sasuke could move, the fox leapt in the direction of the moon, past the badger, which growled and swiped at the other demon, and out into the desert sands. He stood dazed a moment, watching the creature disappear into the distance.

"Hurry!" Lee shouted down to him, "Get up here, we'll go after him!"

"And what am I?" grumbled Shukaku indignantly, "A beast of burden?"

"Oh stop complaining," Lee said good-naturedly "I'll give you a good long battle later to compensate,"

"A battle, hmm?" Shukaku said thoughtfully, "Too bad, the brat's a little disappointed. He says he'd much rather have you do that thing with your--"

"That's quite enough!" Lee squeaked, turning a remarkably brilliant shade of red, "Ah, tell Gaara we'll talk about that _later_. Now, if you wouldn't mind?" he gestured towards Sasuke.

The badger griped, but reluctantly extended its foreleg and allowed Sasuke to climb up next to Lee on its head. "Hang on mortal," it growled, muscles bunching as it lunged forward into a loping run.

Sasuke nearly lost his balance, grasping at stiff hairs to steady himself. Lee looked unperturbed, merely swaying where he stood as the ground rolled beneath them. "Listen," he said, turning to Sasuke "When we catch up to Naruto, you must fight him alone. Shukaku and I cannot help you, but once you lay hands on him the battle should end. Until then, play to your strengths and stay out of his reach,"

"I still don't understand what's happening," Sasuke grumbled, clinging to the long hairs as Shukaku made a particularly sharp turn.

"Fear not my nameless friend!" Lee said cheerfully as the waving tails of the Kyuubi became visible on the horizon "All will be made clear to you soon!" He grinned madly, grabbed a protesting Sasuke and launched him forward as Shukaku skidded to a halt.

Sasuke felt a vague annoyance as he was hurled at dizzying speeds for the second time that day. His limbs pin-wheeled madly as he crashed down on the fox's back, his fall slightly cushioned by the thick hair. He reached out to grasp on tightly, but the fox shook him off as if he were a flea. This time he managed to land on his feet, his legs bending to absorb the shock from the impact of the sand. He whipped around to face the grinning fox.

"You're bold for a mortal," it laughed, "Maybe I should toy with you a bit before I devour you,"

_Play to my strengths_. Thought Sasuke. _I hope this works._ Standing his ground against the monster fox, he activated his Sharingan, locked gazes with the demon, and bore down with his will. _Stop_.

To his shock, the creature did. The fox froze in its tracks, growling in anger. "What sorcery is this?" it howled.

"A mere mortal, hmm?" Sasuke said with weary smugness. Careful not to drop his stare, he walked forward and placed his palms flat against the fox's left foreleg, "Game over,"

The demon hesitantly lowered its head and nosed him, pushing his head uncomfortably to the side as it sniffed. "Him?" it murmured in a curious tone, seemingly to itself. It cocked its head to the side for a moment, as if listening, then huffed and growled in annoyance, "But this one is tainted, he smells of serpents!" Kyuubi shook its ears violently, as though it had been struck, and snapped at the air, "Fine, no need to shout, it's not as if I _can't_ hear you, but if this goes sour...Very well, I'll play nice,"

The fox lowered its body to the ground with a thumping crash. Sasuke jumped slightly but clung on, not daring to release his grip. One huge, slit-pupil eye focused on him, "Well, mortal? Are you just going to stand there?"

Sasuke hurriedly leapt onto the fox's head, grasping at a wide ear to pull himself up. Once he was settled atop his perch between the demon's ears to fox turned and bounded back in the direction they had come. "Keep up, badger," it shouted in a derogatory tone.

Shukaku gave an angry grumble and shifted its stubby legs into motion.

The wind whipped past Sasuke as he gripped the fox's fur, but without the fear of before he felt an exhilarating rush. The fox was taller than most buildings and he could see for miles across the moonlit landscape. Within moments they came upon the shrine gate. Neji was still standing beneath the red, wooden frame, his unbound hair whipping in the desert winds. Beyond the gate, the sun was just rising, golden light trickling across the sand, infusing color back into the desert. The fox gave a howling laugh at the sight. "You're in luck, Gatekeeper," it shouted to Neji, "It looks as if I won't have time to shatter that pitiful barrier of yours," it lowered its voice, slightly, and addressed Sasuke "You better get down, mortal, before you fall,"

Sasuke scrambled off and watched in amazement as the demon stood frozen against the lightening sky. Fangs were bared for a moment and the fox seemed to fold in on itself and disappear.

Naruto stumbled to the ground, his legs buckling beneath him. He half caught himself with one arm and looked directly at Sasuke, who still stood openmouthed a few feet away. He gave a weak smile, but his eyes were sad.

"Hey, bastard," he said, and collapsed in a dead faint.

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A/N: Loved it? Hated it? Confused? Surpressing the urge to throw tomatoes? I accept all sentiment, please read and review. 


	7. Chapter 6: The Desert

A/N: Hello everyone, I apologize for the long delay in updating this story. I really have no excuse for the lateness, but I do have a whole list of them, which include everything from school and family problems to extensive writer's block and being unsure about where to make the cut between chapters. I realize that an author who updates only sporadically can be quite annoying and I thank all my readers for their patience and the wonderful reviews. I can't make any promises about when the next chapter will be out, it all depends on inspiration and time, but rest assured that this story will be finished. There's only one more chapter to go and an epilogue, both of which are already mostly planned out. I also have a few other stories in the planning stages, and hopefully working on those will get the creative juices flowing for this one, but I'm probably going to take a break from Naruto after this is finished. However, if any of you guys are fans of Death Note, I have some ideas there, which I'll articulate in my profile. Now that I have thoroughly wasted your time with my rambling and excuses I'm sure you'd like to go on and read the chapter I made you all wait so long for. Enjoy and please review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Dark Tower series. They are the property of their respective copyright holders and I am making no profit from this work of fiction.

Warnings: Absolutely none. No sex, no real violence, just plot and angst, though those may deserve a warning in of themselves. This is also un-betaed, but I'm super anal about grammar so it should at least be readable. I'm also experimenting with new divisions within the chapter since FF screws with my line spacing. Let me know how you like them, since I may keep them for future stories.

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Chapter 6: The Desert

Sasuke cautiously dropped to his knees by Naruto's side. Carefully he lifted the limp boy, arranged him in his arms bridal style, and carried him back towards the shrine gate, struggling to keep his balance as he trudged over the slippery dunes of sand. He heard a soft rushing sound behind him and turned to see Lee, tousled as he was but still grinning, running across the desert. Another body was draped across the thin boy's back, head drooping over his shoulder. In the light of dawn Sasuke could see that the other boy, Gaara he assumed, had a mop of red hair, cropped into short, messy spikes. Teal green eyes met his own as the demon vessel wearily lifted his head to speak softly into his Guardian's ear. Lee murmured something back and soothingly stroked the other boy's hair.

Not meaning to intrude on a private moment, Sasuke averted his eyes, glancing cautiously down on the burden in his arms. Naruto was limp from exhaustion and his head lolled against Sasuke's chest, sweat darkened hair sticking to his skull, but there was a contented smile on his face. Hesitantly he planted a gentle kiss on Naruto's forehead.

- - -

"Gaara and I can guide you across the desert," Lee announced, in between bites of Hinata's soba noodles, punctuating his discourse with emphatic jabs of his chopsticks "I know the Tower you are looking for,"

"You've seen it!" Sasuke said.

"Of course not," replied Lee with an offhand wave of his chopsticks, "No one has ever seen it. It is hidden after all,"

"Then how are you supposed to guide us there?" said Sasuke, rapidly losing patience with the overly cheerful man.

"Such impatience!" scolded Lee, "you should know better, just because something cannot be seen doesn't mean that it is not _there_. Leave navigating the desert to Gaara and me, and focus on preparing yourself to confront Orochimaru. Now," he narrowed his eyes at Sasuke and pointed the chopsticks threateningly at him, "_you_ should go back to your Vessel and get some rest. We're in for a long day tomorrow,"

Grumbling at the bizarre man's audacity, Sasuke left the dining room and returned to his guest room. He slid open the door and peered in. It still fairly dark, the weak dawn light had only begun to creep through the thin paper walls, and Naruto was an indistinct lump under the covers of the bedroll. Still clad in his rumpled sleeping yukata, Sasuke slid under the blankets, trying to make as little noise as possible. He heard a huff of exhaled breath beside him. "You awake?" he whispered, half-hoping the other boy wasn't.

"Yeah," replied a muffled voice.

There was a long silence.

"Why—?" Sasuke started and bit back the half-formed question. He wasn't even entirely sure what he wanted to ask.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably, pulling the blankets towards his side of the bedroll and exposing Sasuke's legs to the air. Sasuke tugged at the blanket in half-hearted annoyance but ceased when Naruto began to speak.

"You weren't supposed to find out," he said "you have enough to deal with, without adding in any of my problems,"

"Well it certainly seems as if it's one of my problems now," Sasuke said bitingly. He realized his mistake by the shift in the energy of the room.

"No," Naruto said abruptly, his voice hard "This is none of your concern. Focus your energy on surviving the encounter with Orochimaru,"

"But—" Sasuke began to protest.

"But nothing!" Naruto snarled back "You know _nothing_ about this! I've carried this burden since before you were born!" He sat up, his eyes blazing like cold, blue fire in the darkness "I've seen monsters a thousand times more terrifying than Orochimaru and carried one inside my head since I was a kit," His voice deepened to a low growl, "Guardian or not, you're just a child, a mortal child who's stumbled into a world that plays by rules he can't possibly begin to understand. Try defending yourself first before you try protecting me from something you can't even see!"

Wounded, Sasuke retaliated, "If I'm worthless as a Guardian then why did you try to form an attachment with me? What the hell was last night?"

There was an ominous silence. "That…was a mistake," Naruto said with great finality, turning over and presenting his back to Sasuke, "One I won't make again,"

The words were a kick in the gut. Sasuke recoiled, turning to face away from the other boy. A slight feeling of nausea swamped him and he bit his tongue to keep from answering back. What did it matter if a creature he'd known less than a full month didn't want to have anything to do with him? It was like Naruto said: what mattered was preparation for the upcoming battle. He couldn't afford to become distracted.

Hidden by the darkness, Naruto squeezed his eyes shut against the pain he could feel, flowing through the fledgling link he'd formed with Sasuke the night before. The other boy probably wasn't even aware of it; the link was weak and Sasuke's magical senses were not fully developed. Doing his best to ignore nagging feelings of guilt, Naruto forced himself into slumber. The pieces were in motion; all that was left to do now was wait.

- - -

That evening Sasuke sat beside Naruto on the veranda of the Hyuuga home, waiting for their two companions to make some "preparations" as Lee had said with an absurd grin. The silence between them was heavy and stifling, reminding Sasuke of a time when a thick fog had blown in off the coast, shrouding his family home in the thick mist. Sounds and colors had been muted and Sasuke, only six at the time and left to his own devices by uncaring parents, had wandered away and become lost in the haze. His cries were swallowed in the mist and he had wandered as if in a dream until he collapsed. He'd knelt in the dirt for what felt like hours until he was startled from his daze by the sound of hoof beats. A huge, black stallion materialized out of the fog, covered in the blue, red and white trappings of his family colors, a samurai seated on its back. His brother. Sasuke, his face grubby and tear stained, had run to the armor-clad man and been scooped into the saddle.

As he reflected, Sasuke became aware that the hoof beats he heard were not only in his memory. His gaze swung in the direction of the shrine gate. Lee and Gaara emerged from beneath the structure. Each boy held the reins of a horse. The animals were fully saddled and packed, and they tossed their heads, dancing back and forth in excitement as they were led forward. At his side, Sasuke heard Naruto rise to meet their companions and copied him, trying not to look at the other boy.

"There are only two horses, I'm afraid," Lee apologized when they were within earshot, "but not to worry, they're both quite capable of carrying two," He tugged on the reins of the horse he led "Gaara and I can ride Kiri, and Hinode will carry you and Naruto,"

Sasuke looked at the horse doubtfully. The mare stood barely as high as Lee's shoulder and her legs appeared skinny and disproportionate to her body. Wide, dark eyes, nearly covered by long lashes, peered curiously at him as he reached to take the reins. Remembering how his brother's stallion had towered even over his father, Sasuke could not help but look at the tiny mare with trepidation. He also noted the complete absence of stirrups.

With a sigh, Sasuke gripped the reins and a good handful of mane and prepared to swing aboard, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He froze for a moment, thinking it was Naruto, but when he turned back he saw Gaara at his side.

"Do not doubt your mount," Gaara said, his voice a low monotone, "Hinode is descended from the Winds of the Four Directions," teal eyes flickered over to Naruto, who had come up next to Gaara, "Even if she throws you, she will always return," Without another word, the red haired boy turned and crossed towards Lee, who was already mounted, giving Naruto a sharp glance as he did so. The blond bristled slightly and turned resolutely away.

Sasuke stared after the other boy in confusion; he got the feeling Gaara wasn't talking about horses.

"Oi, you just going to stand there?" Naruto demanded. Startled, Sasuke looked back at him, but the other boy refused to meet his eyes. Biting back an angry retort, Sasuke lifted himself into the saddle and reached down, offering his arm to Naruto, who gripped it and pulled himself up behind Sasuke. He gripped the reins hard at the feel of Naruto's warmth against his back. It should have been a comfort, but the bitter taste of Naruto's words still hung between them. Swallowing down the dense lump which seemed to have formed in his throat, Sasuke nudged Hinode forward, following Lee and Gaara out into the desert.

Sasuke thought later that Gaara's comment about the horses must have been true, since he'd never in his life met a horse which could gallop through the night until sunrise. Hinode's strides were long for a horse of her diminutive size, and her small hooves sent up sprays of swiftly cooling sand as she paced in the wake of the other horse. The moon and an endless blanket of brilliant diamond stars wheeled above them and Sasuke, despite the mass of sorrow lurking in his chest, was hard pressed to suppress his joy at once more being on horseback. He had loved riding ever since his brother had lifted him up on his mount's broad back as a small child and now, the rocking of the horse's motion as smooth as rippling ocean waves, for a brief time Sasuke felt his sorrows lift and take flight.

- - -

It was Gaara who brought their company to a halt. It was a short time before sunrise, and despite the fact that this area of the desert looked no different from any other, he got off the horse and walked without a word to anyone in the direction of the pale light which leaked over the horizon. Once he was a fair way from the two horses and their riders, Gaara stood stock still for a long moment, eyes closed. Slowly his hands twitched and rose from his sides, palms down. The sand before the boy rippled and parted, scooping out to form a deep bowl-shaped impression. The last grains of sand shuddered to a halt and all was still for a moment, then something gleamed at the bottom of the depression. Sasuke watched in amazement as water bubbled up; a new oasis in the desert.

Gaara's arms dropped to his sides "We'll rest here for the day," he said flatly. At this declaration Lee bounded into action, removing several packs from the horses before Sasuke was even able to dismount. He moved with unnatural speed, and a large black tent, made of a tough leather, seemed to blossom near the desert pool.

The tent was cool and spacious within and Sasuke was glad to have a place to escape from the heat, which had just started to build in the desert around them. However, trapped within the confines of the tent, it was almost impossible to avoid Naruto.

He soon found he needn't have worried; Naruto was equally eager to avoid him and spent the day in brooding meditation. Several times Sasuke saw Lee try to engage Naruto in conversation, but he was always brusquely turned aside. Eventually Lee gave up and went to Gaara, who, while he did not brush off Lee's attentions, was hardly more of a conversationalist. Silence settled over the tiny group.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, heat and tensions mounted. Sasuke tried to sleep, failed, and tried again, only to find himself lying awake on his pallet, restlessly shifting back and forth. Several times he rose and went for water, more out of a desire for something to do than out of real thirst. The last time he stepped from the tent he noticed, to his surprise that the sun was setting, turning the light a ruddy color and casting long shadows in the sand.

Waterskin still in his hand, he paused a moment to survey the scene. A gust of wind teased some of the fine grains of sand from the ground, tossing them against his legs, and brought murmurs of a low conversation to his ears.

"—tomorrow," said Naruto's voice.

"You can't be serious!" Lee's voice rose above his and someone shushed him.

The voices continued to murmur and Sasuke strained his ears, but the wind was gone.

When he worked up the courage to enter the tent once more he found himself almost bowled over by Lee as he exited the tent, Gaara in his wake.

"Come on," Lee said, his voice tight with controlled tension "It's time for us to leave,"

Sasuke began helping Lee to take down the tent and repack the horse's saddlebags. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Gaara squatting down on the sand near the oasis. His eyes were closed and he had one palm flattened on the ground. In the other he grasped a short stick, with which he was drawing something on the ground. Naruto, a serious look on his face, was crouched nearby, peering intently at the sand. As if he sensed the other boy's gaze, blue eyes flickered up and met Sasuke's. Swiftly, Naruto's hand came down and wiped the drawing from existence.

- - -

Their second night of travel was not nearly as enjoyable as the first. This new section of the desert was covered in huge, sloping dunes. The slippery sand and steep sides of the dunes made the going slow, and the horses' sides were soon streaked with foam as they labored up and down the seemingly endless hills of sand. Tempers were short all around. Naruto and Lee remained stonily silent and Sasuke's seal was on fire with pain, as Naruto had done nothing the past two nights to ease it. Even Gaara seemed troubled, staring moodily out into the desert night, occasionally glancing towards Naruto, who purposely ignored him.

They had made only a few miles when Sasuke saw the sky beginning to lighten on the eastern horizon and he forcibly swallowed a curse of frustration. The only bright spot in the evening was that they seemed to have reached the edge of the sand dunes, where the rolling hills opened up into flat cracked earth and dead scrub. Gaara silently guided them towards the open land, fingers flicking to smooth a section of the earth beneath them. Lee began setting up the tent once more, and Sasuke moved to help him.

"Any water?" said Lee tersely, pounding a tent peg into the ground with a little more force than necessary. Sasuke jumped slightly as the wooden peg sank several inches down and the earth around it split.

"No," replied Gaara, his voice flat.

No more words were spoken.

- - -

Sasuke was awoken several hours after dawn, by a pain in his seal which nearly bent him in half and an overpowering drive to leave the tent. He was on his feet, staggering through the tent flap, before he realized the flap was open, not closed to protect against the blowing sand and overpowering heat. The anomaly was enough to stop him in his tracks for a moment. Gaara stood by the open flap, eyes unshielded against the sun as he gazed out into the desert. Behind him, Sasuke could hear the rustle of blankets as Lee rose from his pallet, but he didn't need to look at the line of fox prints stretching across the flat scrub to know that Naruto was gone.

Gaara's flat emotionless eyes met his for a moment and, without a word or backward glance, Sasuke followed the line of tiny paw prints out into the desert.

He couldn't have said how long he trudged through the desert, his eyes fixed on the single curving line of tracks before him. However, as he followed he became aware that he was following the trail by more than his own volition. A powerful compulsion, that made him slightly nauseous and felt, if he could have described it, like serpents in his mind, was drawing him towards the northwest. The pain in his seal also grew from a background annoyance to a persistent ache as he continued to move. He might have tried to turn and run if not for another call, elusive and weak beneath the first but still palpable. It was warm and sounded like the thin high yip of a fox.

Sasuke was dizzy with exhaustion, his lips cracked from the dry air of the desert, when he finally raised his eyes from the line of tracks in the dust.

The blazing sun glinted off the sides of the iron tower, jutting like a black thorn out of the cracked earth. It was utterly smooth and round, without a single window, rising hundreds of feet to end in two wicked horned points. A pair of wide arched iron doors, closed and without any sort of visible handle, were cut into the side of the tower, etched in high relief with the images of intertwined serpents. A small, challenging figure stood before them, waiting for him. Cold, red eyes with inhuman, slit pupils stared out from beneath spiked blond hair and met Sasuke's own.

He felt his heart twist.

"Sasuke Uchiha," said Naruto, his voice low and growling, "this is your final challenge,"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I really did have to cut it about there. I originally intended to have this chapter include their fight as well, but I eventually decided to have it in the next chapter, for various reasons. I hope you enjoyed it, and that you take the time to review. I enjoy contructive critisism, but squeeing is always appreciated as well :)

If anyone actually cares, I named the horses "Hinode" for the Japanese word for sunrise and "Kiri" for the word for fog. Now I usually hate randomly included Japanese words, especially if the author doesn't actually speak the language, but I really did want to name the horses and used an honest-to-god paper Japanese-English dictionary to come up with the names, so I hope they're correct. If not feel free to correct me.


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